The Overwatch League is undergoing major alterations for 2023, with lower-level teams getting the opportunity to compete with the top-level squads.
The season format will now see teams amass points based on their results in regional qualifiers rather than the standard league standings that were in place in previous years.
The Spring Stage will be followed by the Midseason Madness event, while the Summer Stage will be followed by the season-ending playoffs, but the makeup of the events will be different for the East and West regions.
Spring Stage qualifying matches will determine how the West teams are seeded in the Spring Stage Knockouts and which West teams make Midseason Madness.
Meanwhile, the East division will start with regional events in South Korea, Asia Pacific and Australia/New Zealand that will qualify 12 Open Division or Contenders teams for an open event. Meanwhile, the East’s Overwatch League teams will contest their own Spring Stage qualifying. The top teams from both of those competitions will make the Spring Stage Knockouts and earn places in Midseason Madness.
The Summer Stage will also include the opportunity for Contenders teams to make the East regional field.
Open Division and Contenders squads in North America and Europe/Middle East/Africa will get the chance to advance to the West Region Pro-Am that starts March 23. After two weeks of group play, a single-elimination playoff bracket will determine the outcome of the event that will feature a $100,000 prize pool.
The Dallas Fuel are the defending Overwatch League champions, having defeated the San Francisco Shock in the grand final at Anaheim, Calif., on Nov. 4. Previous champions were the London Spitfire (2018), San Francisco (2019 and 2020) and the Shanghai Dragons (2021).
–Field Level Media