Blizzard is betting on Overwatch being the next big eSport (and rigging the odds)
Overwatch has so many things going for it that it cannot be anything but a successful eSport. Yes, there are problems with the game currently, but nothing that can’t be solved. And they will be solved. Blizzard has put a lot of resources behind the game to ensure that it will receive everything it needs to succeed.
If you follow Overwatch at all then you know there was a new patch released on the PTR (Public Test Realm). It has been dubbed the Bastion buff, or the Bastion meta, because of the changes to Bastion. You can read the patch notes here. While those are significant there is another huge addition that people are ecstatic about. The Server Browser.
For those who don’t know, a server browser lets you pick what server you want to play on. More than that, it also lets you create your own server with your own rules. In the Developer Update video, Jeff Kaplan talks about all the things you can do with your server.
This is great news for Overwatch, not only because a server browser is a great addition, but because a server browser is hard to build. Especially one with all the features they have added.
A server browser shows the dedication that Blizzard has to Overwatch. Lots of games have server browsers, the most prolific example is Battlefield, but those games get released with a server browser. The fact that the game didn’t get released with one is a big deal. It shows that Blizzard is willing to commit significant resources to the game based on how they want the game to develop. It shows vision and a willingness to make that vision come true.
That vision is one of eSports dominance and Overwatch is a piece of that puzzle.
Activision Blizzard, the parent company of Blizzard Entertainment, is working to become a dominant, if the not the dominant, player in the eSports scene. The acquisition of Major League Gaming (MLG) shows how dedicated the company is to developing the eSports scene; no company casually spends $46 million dollars, not even Activision Blizzard. The company that owns Blizzard Entertainment is looking to dominante eSports. Therefore, Blizzard Entertainment is looking at dominanting eSports. Which means that its latest Intellectual Property (IP) is focussed on eSports. The company is dedicated to the success of Overwatch as an eSport. Case and Point: the Overwatch League.
The Overwatch League was announced at Blizzcon 2016 and will be the biggest attempt bringing eSports to the masses. It will bring eSports to new eyes. There are few details on the league, only that the team owners will be announced soon and that they are are looking forward to holding their first combine. The league release date has been pinned down to Q3 of 2017. So anytime from July, August, and September.
Blizzard is pouring substantial resources into the Overwatch League as well as the game. Both the server browser and all the work that it takes to set up a never tried before league shows the amount of resources behind Overwatch.
