Top five choices for new Overwatch League locations in the US
In 2016, Blizzard announced it would be hosting a new league for its Overwatch game. The league would consist of city-based teams all over the world, much like traditional sports, so fans would then have a “home team” to support in the league.
Team-based support is the aim of the league
Their move to this type of league would take support from individual players, irrelevant of the team they play for, to a more defined, team-based support system, just like American baseball. And the logo is even reminiscent of the Major League Baseball logo, having a two-tone background split by the white silhouette of the player. And at a recent summit in New York, sixteen cities were highlighted as being proposed for hosting teams in the league, but it was explained they were just examples. This has left fans with very little information about which cities could potentially host Overwatch League teams, and who they could support. Esports Insider, an industry-focused media platform, has put together a “top five” list of the major cities with the potential to host the new Overwatch League’s big teams in the United States.
Top five Overwatch League locations in the United States
Los Angeles
Without a doubt, the most obvious choice for hosting a team, as Blizzard are a California-based company.With the West Coast being a major hub for eSports in the U.S., and many events being held in the L.A. area, it is the testing ground for many eSports innovations. Along with Las Vegas, Los Angeles has seen a boom in eSports Arenas being built to host events and other leagues.
Las Vegas
Another major player in the eSports scene, Las Vegas already hosts several major events, such as DreamHack: Masters, Heroes of the Storm regional events and the Heroes of the Dorm finals this April. Add to that the new 15,000 square foot arena that was recently constructed at Neonopolis, and you can see why they are in the running for hosting a team.
Atlanta
With the city playing host to major events in Counter Strike, Heroes of the Storm and Call of Duty, Atlanta is another good choice for hosting an Overwatch team. Having just been named as the headquarters of the Counter Strike Eleague, and host to a recent Overwatch tournament, Atlanta would be an ideal representative for the southern states.
Austin
Texas is already the home of a huge and solid fan base for traditional sports, and people take their supporting seriously. With DreamHack being a popular event in Austin, adding an Overwatch team would be a good choice.
Washington D.C.
With a new 65 million dollar eSports arena set for completion by late 2018, the nation’s capital is another good choice. And with the recent sponsorship of NRG Esports by the sports and conventions authority, Events D.C., the city is set to become the prime location for eSports on the east coast.
Also, with the buy-in cost looking to be in the millions for major cities, there may need to be a merging of traditional sports organizations with eSports to aid in Overwatch League investments.
