Completing alongside other shooter esports such as CS:GO, Rainbow Six and CoD, Overwatch esports tournaments have their own special structure. At its core, Overwatch intends to be as accessible as possible, openly inviting any player to join the ‘Path to Pro’, working their way up to top-tier leagues. Today, we’re here to look at the best Overwatch tournaments in 2023, identifying top betting opportunities.
If you’re an esports bettor, you’ll likely have no issues finding markets for the best Overwatch tournaments on the schedule. There aren’t too many to understand, and the simple learning curve is welcoming to new bettors. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top-tier Overwatch tournaments coming in 2023.
Overwatch Tournaments in 2023 – Multiple Layers
Image Credits: Blizzard Entertainment
At the Top of the Table: The Overwatch League
The most popular and prolific Overwatch tournament is, without a doubt, the Overwatch League. This Blizzard-backed tournament is massively valuable, boasting a franchise model that has pumped huge amounts of money into the prize pools.
It was first hosted in 2018, featuring 12 teams, but in 2019, this roster was expanded to include 20 teams in total. Here’s a look at all of the franchised organizations involved for the 2023 season, split into West and East regions:
| East | West |
|---|---|
| Chengdu Hunters Guangzhou Charge Hanzghou Spark Seoul Dynasty Seoul Infernal – (Philadelphia Fusion rebrand) Shanghai Dragons | Atlanta Reign Boston Uprising Dallas Fuel Florida Mayhem Houston Outlaws London Spitfire Los Angeles Gladiators Los Angeles Valiant New York Excelsior San Francisco Shock Toronto Defiant Vancouver Titans Vegas Eternal Washington Justice |
It’s the pinnacle of Overwatch esports, and it has featured staggeringly high prize pools. In 2021, the total pool was worth some $4.25 million, with the grand victor, the Shanghai Dragons, securing almost $4 million of it.
As the best of all the Overwatch tournaments, the Overwatch League lasts the longest, spanning several months. It features a regular season, play-in events, and the grand Playoff stage to cap it all off. It’s a dramatically lucrative tournament for Overwatch players, as each year, a new World Champion is crowned.
For 2023, Blizzard has revealed a new regular season structure featuring a Spring and Summer Split, with two international offline events. In addition, this year, there will be closer integration with the OWL Contenders scene.
Find a summary of the year’s schedule in the image below:
Image Credits: Blizzard Entertainment
In 2023, those partaking in Overwatch betting will have their work cut out for them. For the first time, all Overwatch League tournaments will be played on an early build of Overwatch 2, and it’ll be the first time we see it in action. This star-studded tournament is set to commence in the Spring of 2023.
The Next Step Down: Overwatch Contenders
Below the Overwatch League sits the Overwatch Contenders tournament. This is an important part of the ‘Path to Pro‘ structure that Overwatch actively promotes.
Gamers start off in the Open Division when attempting to become a legitimate, professional Overwatch players. This is an organised, ranked mode that sees players pit themselves against other serious contenders.
Once that stage has been surpassed, players enter the Overwatch Contenders Trials before passing into the Overwatch Contenders League. This features a split structure, offering up some of the best Overwatch tournaments in the world. At its foundation, it’s a regionalised tournament, offering large prize pools worldwide in varying locales.
If a player should be good enough to win events in the Overwatch Contenders League, they can transcend into the Overwatch League.
In 2021, Overwatch tournaments based around Contenders were held in China, Europe, North America, Korea, and Australia, with almost $1 million in prize money being handed out.
The calendar for the 2023 season will feature an interesting integration between professionals and amateurs which will likely mutually benefit both scenes. For players eager to break into the best esports tournaments in Overwatch, the Contenders tournament is the best place to start.
Overwatch World Cup: Returning After Three Years
Of course, it doesn’t end with just two event structures – there’s one more to bear in mind for Overwatch betting.
In 2019, the most recent Overwatch World Cup was held, featuring a battle between nations. Ten national teams fought for a pot worth some $200,000 and the right to call themselves the greatest Overwatch country in the world.
Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment
In 2023, three years later, the epic international event returns epically. Revealed to feature 36 teams, concluding with a Final 8 in Fall 2023, the event will mature over three stages of competition starting in January. It looks to conclude in an awesome fight between the best nations in the world, with plenty of esports betting opportunities!
As with any other esports platform, several smaller tournaments will fill the gaps throughout the year. However, most of these events are great for watching but bad for betting. If they’re covered at all by one of the many esports betting sites out there, the markets will be few and far between.
If you want to get involved with Overwatch betting, 2023 is the perfect year to do so as the entire esport looks to innovate with new exciting formats and returning successful events!
All the action kicks off as soon as March – so what are you waiting for?
