Need a primer on Blizzard‘s new Overwatch League event? Here’s everything you need to know, including how to get those new League Skins, and how much it’ll cost to purchase League Tokens. Don’t forget to log in during the opening month for a free 100 Tokens you can use to unlock one of the many new League Skins.
So what exactly is Overwatch League? It isn’t an event like we’re used to in Overwatch. Regular players don’t compete — instead, it’s the elite versus the elite as pro teams face-off to become the World Champion. You can watch the whole thing on Twitch, MLG.tv, or on the Overwatch official site itself; they’re all linked below. Keep scrolling to find a breakdown of the events, and check out the team color skins in the gallery.
What Is Overwatch League?
Overwatch League is a six-month season, where 12 teams complete in the Blizzard Arena in LA. The teams will play 40 matches, split into two divisions (Pacific and Atlantic) and compete for the $1 million dollar World Champions of Season 1 prize. Teams can also earn performance bonuses up to $3.5 million.
As stated above, teams are split into two divisions; Pacific and Atlantic. Here’s the full list of teams.
- Atlantic:
- New York Excelsior
- London Spitfire
- Florida Mayhem
- Boston Uprising
- Houston Outlaws
- Philadelphia Fusion
- Pacific:
- Los Angeles Gladiators
- Los Angeles Valiant
- Seoul Dynasty
- Shanghai Dragons
- San Francisco Shock
- Dallas Fuel
Season 1 will be split into four stages, followed by a postseason where the top 8 players join a 10 day playoff, followed by a 3 day Grand Finals. Everything ends with the All-Star Weekend, featuring the community’s favorite players facing off in unconventional challenge matches.
Where Can I Watch?
There are lots of ways to watch! You can watch the Season streamed on Twitch, MLG.tv, and more.
- Watch on Season 1:
Here’s a quick overview of the schedule, so you know when to prepare.
- Regular Season 1:
- Stage 1: Jan 10th – Feb 10th
- Stage 2: Feb 21st – Mar 24th
- Stage 3: Apr 4rth – May 5th
- Stage 4: May 16th – June 16th
- Postseason:
- Playoffs: July 11th – 22nd
- Grand Finals: July 26th – 28th
- All-Star Weekend: Aug 10th – 12th
New League Skins
New skins for all 26 characters are now available for purchase in Overwatch. There are 12 skins for each character, and every skin paints your favorite heroes in all 12 teams’ colors. You can purchase skins individually for 100 League Tokens.
- NOTE: Just for logging in, you’ll earn 100 free League Tokens. You can use 100 Tokens to unlock one free League Skin. This is only available for the first month after the League update launches.
How League Tokens Work
League Tokens are a special in-game currency you can get by spending real-life money. There’s no (current) in-game method to earn League Tokens. A portion of the proceeds will be used to give bonuses to the 12 teams.
- League Tokens are sold in the following denominations:
- 100 Tokens = $4.99 USD
- 200 Tokens = $9.99 USD
- 400 Tokens = $19.99 USD
- 900 Tokens = $39.99 USD
- 2600 Tokens = $99.99 USD
And that’s just about everything you need to know about the new Overwatch League. Got any questions? Drop us a comment below!
