From a distance, it seems Blizzard has everything figured out with Overwatch. $1 billion in sales and 30 million players is a massive commercial and cultural success. Taking out the magnifying glass to examine Overwatch from a competitive gaming perspective tells a different story, however. Blizzard wants Overwatch to be a major esport, but so far they’ve had a difficult time convincing many people that they’re up to that challenge.
Overwatch esports barely has a pulse right now, and that can’t be what Blizzard wants with Overwatch League set to launch later this year. Organizations are dropping their rosters left and right, and it’s what Blizzard isn’t saying or doing that has them worried. Take it from Ninjas in Pyjamas, the European team that had one of the best Overwatch rosters in the world. Upon eliminating their team on June 21st, they said, “The scene has not evolved as expected with viewership being below expectations and Blizzard is yet to announce more details surrounding their upcoming Overwatch League.” Splyce had similar sentiments upon their departure, saying, “It’s been challenging for us in growing a fanbase around the game, and so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to keep investing resources in the title currently.”
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