PC Gaming Weekly: Overwatch steps into the esports spotlight

The watch is beginning for seven esports teams in the U.S. and Asia, and it’s going to have an impact on an industry that research firm Newzoo expects will grow 41.3 percent to $696 million in 2017. Let’s just hope that this doesn’t mean another championship for New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Wednesday, Blizzard announced the first seven cities for its Overwatch League: Boston, New York, Miami-Orlando, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seoul, and Shanghai. You’ve got some big esports names like The Immortals and NRG in the mix, but you also see Craft and New York Mets owner Jeff Wilpon involved as well — showcasing how pro sports are intertwining more with competitive gaming.

Overwatch is one of Blizzard’s biggest games, with more than 30 million people who’ve bought the team-based shooter on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One — and it’s achieved this success in just a little more than a year. Now, you may think that Hearthstone’s 70 million registered players is a bigger sign of success, but remember that Overwatch folks plunked down $40-$60 a pop for a disc or a download, while Blizzard’s “wizard poker” is free-to-play.