The Overwatch World Cup is returning once again this year to see who is the best of the best in Blizzard’s colorful arena shooter game — and fans are getting more and more excited every day.
Blizzard announced its first World Cup in 2016, and pro players from across the globe came together at last year’s BlizzCon to compete against one another. In this inaugural tournament, each national team fought hard to take the championship title, but South Korea walked away with the victory.
This year, with new players and teams in the pro circuit, it can be anyone’s game.
We’re just getting into the beginning stages of the World Cup, which will culminate at BlizzCon later this year. So there isn’t too much information onthe big event yet — but here’s the breakdown on how this year’s race for the World Cup is going to take off.
What’s Happening at the World Cup
From March through April, players from around the world will test each other in competitive mode on Overwatch. As players continue to play, Blizzard keeps record of top 100 players’ skills online, and uses those scores to average each country’s rank. By the end of April, the first 32 high-ranked countries will be qualified to compete for the World Cup.
After the 32 countries are chosen, each country needs to form an Overwatch World Cup National Committee, which consists of three people in charge of roster picks during the competition matches and the finals. Blizzard asks for 10 expert nominees from each country, and qualified players then vote for whoever they want to choose the roster.
During the summer, eight global teams will go head-to-head at lives event throughout the whole week. But this year, the live stages are not just set in California. Four different live stages will happen across Europe, North America, and Asia. Only the two last standing teams will be moving on to the Overwatch World Cup Finals, which will take place in during BlizzCon 2017 on November 3-4 in Anaheim, California.
What Can Overwatch Fans Do to Support the World Cup?
Regardless of their skill level, fans can participate through Competitive Play. Playing competitive mode can boost a player’s national ranking every time they win a battle. Fans can also support their country by watching scheduled matches online or buying a ticket to see the event.
For more info about the national ranks and where to watch their events, check out the official Ovewatch World Cup website.
Get in there heroes, and play Overwatch!
