Sources confirm GamersOrigin and EnVision eSports for Contenders Season One

Following yesterday's reveal of the upcoming Contenders Season One schedule, over.gg has learned that the final two teams rounding the European and North American participants lists are GamersOrigin and EnVision eSports.

The question of just who exactly would be filling the vacant spot held by Movistar Riders has been lingering over Contenders for the last month. The Spanish organisation released their Overwatch roster following the expiration of contracts in early July, but per Contenders rules it was the organisation rather than the players who owned the spot.

Not long after that, Team Liquid found themselves in a similar situation across the pond; in possession of a slot but with an incomplete Overwatch squad as DaHanG, id_, and rapha shifted their focus to Quake. Last week ESPN's Jacob Wolf reported that Liquid would be winding up their Overwatch operations and were "looking to sell its spot in Blizzard's Overwatch Contenders".

Per sources, both Team Liquid and Movistar Riders have successfully offloaded their Contenders slots to willing buyers. No further details are currently known regarding the transactions.

Members of the GamersOrigin organisation had stated publicly as far back as last week that they would be competing in Contenders Season One. Of those teams who had failed to make top eight in Contenders Season Zero Europe, only Team expert and GamersOrigins were presumed to have the finances or the rosters capable of competing.

Meanwhile, ongoing rumours had suggested that there had been multiple interested parties for the North America slot secured by EnVision eSports. Having finished joint 7th-8th with LG Evil in Season Zero, EnVision players had been vocal from the get-go that they should be the rightful recipients of the spot, as opposed to, say, a deep-pocketed NRG. With as-yet-unverified reports that LG Evil's Overwatch roster is dead in the water, it seems that EnVision may have been the only candidate capable of continuing the Season Zero narrative.

Blizzard’s Overwatch Contenders Season One will run its Europe and North America divisions simultaneously for the next seven weeks. With $100,000 prize pools per region, LAN finals and every game set to be streamed live, this is the event western fans have been demanding throughout 2017. And all this happening during an ongoing Overwatch League signing window? That’s entertainment.