Blizzard is pleased to announce the Overwatch® Open Division, where amateur players who live for competition can flex their skills in a new and challenging open tournament series.

Thousands of heroes leaped into the fray for Overwatch Contenders, and the Season Zero open qualifiers in North America and Europe have been a dramatic showcase of some of the best talent in the West. Many more of you across the world are itching to make the jump from the Overwatch Competitive Play mode to a more formal, structured tier of competition, where the demands of esports elevate players with true grit and skill. Now, the wait is over.

For those who've attained Master rank or higher in the most recent season of Overwatch Competitive Play (February 28 – May 28 PDT), get ready to assemble your team and face other determined squads in your region in the Overwatch Open Division's first season this summer. Players on teams who complete all their Open Division regular season games will receive USD $10.00 in Blizzard Balance, with more in store for those who make it to the playoffs.

If you weren't able to reach Master in Season 4, don't worry—the Open Division isn't a one-off event. Each season in Competitive Play mode moving forward will provide a new chance to be eligible for the following Open Division season. And, in the future, top finishers in the Open Division may be able to earn opportunities to advance to Overwatch Contenders, the regional development league for aspiring Overwatch League professionals.

Signups are now live for the first season, which starts on July 3. To learn more about taking the plunge into the Open Division, including registration, schedules, and rules, head over to our official website. Participating regions for Open Division's first season include Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, Latin American Spanish Speaking Countries, Brazil, Australia/New Zealand and Southeast Asia (support for additional regions is being planned for future seasons); each region has an online platform for building or joining a team.

We hope you'll answer the call, because the world of Overwatch esports could always use more heroes.