“Man, this is kinda lame.” I couldn’t help but think as such, watching Blizzard’s glitzy advertisement for the upcoming Overwatch League. It was a pastiche from decades of Nike ads, repurposed for Blizzard’s new vision.

It was straight out of the Blizzard playbook: Appropriate the ideas of others and refine them into their most entertaining and polished forms. In video games, it’s a technique that Blizzard has mastered to their immense financial gain.

Yet, this time, they mimicked those who were already masters in their field — sports advertising in this case. Blizzard’s work was tawdry in comparison, with no celebrity cameo glamorous enough to mask the triteness leaking from the seams.

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I have to wonder if this will be mirrored in the Overwatch League itself.

Esports has long prided itself on being an industry of innovation, where intrepid spirits must blaze their way through an unexplored frontier. It’s nerd counterculture, but for the hyper-competitive.

Yet, in its big reveal of Overwatch League, Blizzard announced a return to tradition. Permanent franchises will be based in major cities, with an aim to tap into local markets. Relegation free spots will be available to investors with open pockets. A central draft combine will process the influx of new talent.

In effect, Blizzard declared the National Football League to be their ultimate aspiration for Overwatch esports. Yes, I mean that 90-year-old league playing a 140-year-old game, watched using 80-year-old technology. Yes, that league which is currently experiencing an unexpected and calamitous decline in ratings.

There’s no denying the allure of the best-case scenario in a traditional sports model. If the logistical obstacles such as arenas, travel, broadcasting, et cetera can be hurdled, and a dedicated local audience can be mustered, regional franchises offer stability present-day eSports can only dream about.



While it’s in Blizzard’s nature to aspire to the loftiest of goals, they must not become so enamored with their own vision that they lose sight of what others have already achieved through ingenuity.

Third-party organizations have been the backbone of eSports for over a decade, hammering together compelling tournament circuits with or without developer input.

Teams have found ways to survive and even thrive, exploring every opportunity to give their sponsors exposure. Game companies have invented creative revenue sharing models, allowing eSports teams and players to benefit directly from in-game item sales. An entire sister-industry of streaming was founded in part so eSports could be seen by the widest possible audience.

For Blizzard, it would be folly to misplace any potential foundation as a stepping stone.

At this point in time, much about Overwatch League is still unknown. Blizzard has only painted the broadest of strokes, and most of the details have yet to be filled in.

As Blizzard talks to the many parties—both old and new who will be instrumental in making Overwatch League come together, they must keep one thing in mind: It was innovation, not tradition, that brought eSports this far. And, some may say, that’s true of Blizzard as well.