Activision Blizzard overwatch league, a huge bet to cash in on the rise of esports with an NFL-style franchise system.it is reportedly pay The 20 teams spent $120 million, and everyone quietly bid farewell to what was reportedly a financial disaster — despite the cultural implications for fans of the film. overwatch onwards.
“we, overwatch We are evolving League and Competitive Overwatch in a new direction,” said an Activision Blizzard spokesperson. wrote in a statement. “We are grateful to everyone who makes OWL possible, and we remain focused on building our vision of a revitalized esports program. We look forward to sharing more details with you in the near future.”
OWL was originally launched in 2017 A year after the popular class-based hero shooter became Blizzard’s latest blockbuster multiplayer hit. In the first year, 12 founding teams acquired each title for $20 million, followed by eight more teams for between $35 million and $60 million each. Each team was supposed to be based in a city and build its own esports stadium, but the 2020 pandemic changed the game and made it difficult to monetize fans of games that could be streamed online for free.
read more: The Overwatch League is defunct as we know it
Reported by Jacob Wolf. OWL was set to disband last week, with Activision Blizzard adding that it is in talks with Saudi Arabia’s state-owned ESL FACEIT group to continue Overwatch esports in an open circuit format like most other competitive games. This gives teams more flexibility to play tournaments on their schedule, rather than committing to weekly games that culminate in the season playoffs.
bloomberg He detailed the league’s financial issues last year., reported a projected 2020 revenue goal of $125 million from live events, sponsorships, and merchandise deals that didn’t materialize. Despite its passionate fan base and the momentum of its underlying game, OWL has succumbed to the weight of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick’s lofty ambitions.Investigation by the US Department of Justice In the end, a settlement was reached with a fine. Concerning the illegal player salary cap.
Fans have known this moment was coming for a while.activision blizzard fired 50 people from the esports category earlier this year. It seems unlikely that Microsoft will pump more money into OWL after the $69 billion acquisition closed last month. 2023 overwatch League Grand Final was ‘beautiful and depressing’ I have written Kotaku Senior Editor Alyssa Mercante.
OWL fans were left with at least one parting gift thanks to the Toronto Defiant.Team owner Adam Adamou announces league dissolution on social media today AI-generated posts display two overwatch Athletes walk through the wreckage toward the sunset. A circumcised penis can be seen poking out of the trash in the lower left corner.