Ready for the new season? Here's how the Overwatch League 2019 works

"We want to create the best Esports League in the world." With this ambitious approach, Blizzard hosted the very first season of the Overwatch League last year. The success was breathtaking, culminating in a thrilling final match in front of over 11,000 spectators at New York's Barclays Center.

But this is just the beginning. Starting on February 15, the 20 best Overwatch teams will once again compete against each other. All of them will try to knock the reigning champion London Spitfire off its throne. In this guide we will show you

  • how exactly the Overwatch League works
  • what has changed compared to 2018
  • which teams are new

How does the Overwatch League work?

in 2019, a total of 20 teams will compete in the Overwatch League. These belong to the Atlantic and Pacific divisions. The season is divided into four phases with five match days each. Here, all teams will compete against each other.

  • Phase 1: February 15 - March 18, 2019
  • Phase 2: April 5 - May 6, 2019
  • Phase 3: June 7 - July 7, 2019
  • Phase 4: July 26 - August 25, 2019

Each match will be played in Overwatch 's four disciplines: control, attack, escort, and hybrid (a mix of attack and escort). The team that wins three of the categories first wins. In case of a tie, a fifth round determines victory or defeat.

Phase Playoffs

After the end of each phase, the teams' points are added up. The number of wins, draw results and defeats are evaluated. In case of a tie, the map difference (wins minus losses) decides the placement.

The division-best teams advance directly to the phase playoffs. In addition, up to six other teams may qualify by performing well. All playoff teams then compete in a knockout system. The winning team in the finals will be declared the phase champion and receive $200,000 in prize money (last season this was $100,000).

Post-season playoffs

But that's not all: after the end of the fourth phase, all points from the entire season will be added up. While six teams qualify directly with their season performances, the others have to fight for the two remaining spots. Last but not least, a big knockout tournament takes place. The final will decide which team will be the champion of the Overwatch League 2019.

Here's what's changing in the 2019 Overwatch League season

Homestand events

Most matches will continue to be held at the Blizzard Arena in Burbank, California. On the Twitch channel of the Overwatch League, you can either follow the matches live or watch recordings of old matches. However, the so-called Homestand events are new.

One team from each league will host a match day and welcome the other teams to their hometown. in 2019, three of these events will be held in the following cities: Dallas, Los Angeles and Atlanta.

The Allstar Weekend

in 2019, the popular Allstar Weekend will make a comeback. There are small challenges, interviews with players and awards for particularly good Overwatch pros for a whole weekend. The crowning glory of it all is the Allstars match.

The most popular players from the Pacific and Atlantic Divisions will compete against each other in a friendly match. This year, the Allstar Weekend will take place between Phase 2 and Phase 3.

These are the logos of all the teams in the Overwatch League 2019.

New Teams 2019

In the first Season, twelve teams participated in the Overwatch League. This is changing this year. Blizzard has unveiled eight new teams that will also compete in the top Overwatch League starting February 15, 2019.

This year's Overwatch League season promises to be tremendously exciting. Don't miss out on this spectacle and tune in to the season opener on Twitch on February 15, 2019. Want to prove that you have what it takes to be a pro? Grab some friends and get going: Overwatch is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

by Constantin Krüger

We want YOU on Facebook! Become part of our community and stay up to date.