We welcome our newest title, Overwatch, to our Scheduling and resulting data services. Overwatch is our second game, in a series of new titles we’re launching during Q1 2021.
Overwatch is a first-person multiplayer shooter, released in 2016 by Blizzard Entertainment. The game is set to be played by two teams, each with a team of six, competing against each other in a variety of maps and game types.
21 maps are currently available, and those maps are split into four game modes:
Assault, Escort, Hybrid and Control.
In Overwatch, you can select a diverse group of 32 heroes that differentiate themselves in terms of Health, Damage, Abilities and Ultimates.
Each team needs to be balanced in order to be as competitive as possible, which results in Overwatch being a FPS, where strategy counts for more than just ingame shooting skills.
This season, a total of US $4.2 million is up for grabs, with prize money split between tournaments and the playoffs. Here’s how it breaks down:
Competitive tournament structure
The Overwatch League will kick off in April 2021, being played globally from all around the world. The big news for the 2021 season is that fans are now able to see their teams matched up against other teams within a global competition, instead of “only” playing against teams in their own region.
The regular season is played in four tournament cycles. Just as the 2020 season, teams will be divided into two groups based on their location – East & West. East includes eight teams competing in China and South Korea. West contains 12 teams battling in Europe and North America.
Each team will play four matches each cycle, to determine the seeding and qualification for each of the following tournaments; May Melee, June Joust, Summer Showdown and Countdown cup.
In the West, the top six qualifying teams will first play a round of knockout matches, with two teams advancing to tournament weekend. In the East, the top four qualifiers will play down to two teams. The top two teams from the East and West will then play in a double-elimination bracket to determine a tournament champion.
When the regular season ends, the top three teams from the West and top two from the East will directly qualify into the playoffs.
To win the remaining spots in the eight team double-elimination bracket, a play-in tournament for each region will take place with two teams from the West and one team from the East.
Predictions for 2021
Overwatch is working hard to deliver improved fan experiences for the 2021 season. With a strong partnership with Youtube, they are working on several initiatives to level up the quality of match streams through viewership reward programs and improving content. Blizzard Esports switched in 2020 from Twitch to Youtube as a part of a three-year, $160M USD deal, in order to create a more engaging experience from fans all around the world.
Through a strong collaboration with partners such as IBM, Overwatch wants to enhance the way fans interact with their favorite team and players and the way they deliver statistics during live matches.
With a new and innovative tournament structure, a competitive gameplay with a huge variety of ways to be played, we expect the viewership and interest for Overwatch to be a massive success during the 2021 season.
When the regular season ends, the top three teams from the West and top two from the East will directly qualify into the playoffs.
To win the remaining spots in the eight team double-elimination bracket, a play-in tournament for each region will take place with two teams from the West and one team from the East.
How to get started with Overwatch
Although the tournament format seems simple, finding the right data can be a headache, at GameScorekeeper we have made it easy for you.
Through our data services, you can automatically plan the match program and update all the results as soon as they take place.
With a simple integration of our API, we can help you improve your eSports offering, whether you are a betting operator, fantasy platform or a media outlet that wants to cover all the relevant statistics and results for Overwatch.
We love video games, and if you want to know more about how we can help you develop your business, do not hesitate to get in touch.
