Popular Blizzard hero shooter Overwatch has heavily featured e-sports as a part of its identity since the inception of the game, so it may come as a bit of a shock to some that there are claims the latest Overwatch League may, in fact, be the final one. After a competitive League Grand Finals an emotional Soe Gschwind claimed that she and her colleagues were “closing the chapter” on this stage in an emotional sendoff to the League, the crew, and the fans.
While there has been no solid concrete confirmation as to whether the League is officially done as a whole, there are definitely going to be some shakeups to the scene moving forward, considering the sendoff and the following tweet from the official Overwatch League Twitter account seems to imply.
With the completion of the 2023 Overwatch League season, we will be focusing on building our vision of a revitalized esports program. We’re eager to share more with you as the details are finalized.
Many speculate that this rebranding of the Overwatch League is leading into a subsequent Overwatch League 2, while other guess that perhaps maybe on the cast and crew hosting the Leagues will be changing.
Of course, one has to wonder whether the negative reception to Overwatch 2 has anything to do with the downsizing of its competitive scene. Not to mention the controversies surrounding Blizzard as a whole likely affected the perception of all Blizzard products, Overwatch 2 and its corresponding League included.
Regardless of what the situation is with the Overwatch League behind the scenes, it seems one thing is true: while things may not be completely over for the world of Overwatch in e-sports, the Overwatch League as its players and fans know it is likely coming to an end.