As the Overwatch League offseason chaos continues, details have been revealed about the upcoming 2021 season and what it’ll look like in a constantly changing world.
Jon Spector, vice president of the Overwatch League, put out a video today giving fans more information about the 2021 season. In the video, he revealed that the season will start “in spring,” confirming community rumors that the season would start later than usual.
“That gives us a little bit more time to plan versus when we typically started in February,” Spector said. A specific date for the league’s return wasn’t announced.
Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, two separate regions of play—North America and Asia-Pacific (APAC)—will likely continue into the 2021 season. Spector said teams are still in talks about relocating next year, so the regions may look a bit different than they did in 2020.
After the success of monthly tournaments like the Summer Showdown in the latter half of 2020, Spector confirmed that tournaments will return for the 2021 Overwatch League season. More importantly, the season will be focused on them.
Spector said the Overwatch League is looking to “build the entire season around that tournament construct,” experimenting with competitive structures to make it work. While the future is uncertain, Spector said the goal is to have end-of-season tournaments like the Grand Finals held in-person.
While fans may have to wait longer for the 2021 Overwatch League season, they’ll be able to enjoy an “offseason tournament series” during the winter months. Additionally, in February 2021, the Overwatch League will hold a series called “Shock vs. The World.” Members of the San Francisco Shock, the two-time league champions, will face off against all-star teams in a series of challenges.
