Overwatch 2
GameBy Blizzard Entertainment · Released Aug 2023
Documents about Overwatch 2
StarCraft II Returns to China
Blizzard Entertainment and the NetEase-owned Thunder Fire Group have confirmed that StarCraft II will officially return to the Mainland Chinese market on October 28, 2025.
- Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase’s Thunder Fire Group will officially relaunch StarCraft II in Mainland China on October 28, 2025.
- StarCraft II is the final Blizzard title to return to the Chinese market, following the previous re-releases of World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch 2, and Diablo 3.
- NetEase will host an international StarCraft II esports competition at the Hangzhou Esports Centre from November 29–30, 2025.
Pura Vida Named Exclusive Jewelry Partner of Calling All Heroes
Raidiant has secured a partnership with California-based jewelry brand Pura Vida, naming the company the exclusive jewelry partner for the Calling All Heroes tournament series.
- Raidiant has named Pura Vida Bracelets as the exclusive jewelry partner for the Calling All Heroes Major 1 tournament, which begins on May 28, 2025.
- This partnership marks Pura Vida’s first entry into the esports ecosystem and its first collaboration with a tournament organizer.
- The deal includes the creation of custom jewelry inspired by Overwatch 2 hero styles and the provision of Pura Vida products to all tournament competitors.
The Complete Guide to Battle Pass Design & Monetization
Battle passes have emerged as a cornerstone of free-to-play monetization, accounting for an estimated 30% to 60% of revenue in many modern shooter titles.
- Battle passes serve as a primary monetization driver for shooter games, accounting for an estimated 30–60% of total revenue for many free-to-play titles.
- A successful battle pass model targets a 'golden ratio' of approximately one dollar of value per hour of gameplay to ensure players feel the grind is fair rather than exploitative.
- Fortnite is widely considered the industry gold standard for battle pass design, largely because it allows dedicated players to earn back enough currency to purchase the next season's pass for free.
Overwatch 2 Returns to China
Overwatch 2 is set to officially return to mainland China on February 19, 2025, following a collaborative agreement between Blizzard Entertainment and the NetEase-owned Thunder Fire Group.
- Overwatch 2 will officially return to mainland China on February 19, 2025, following a technical test period for the new server beginning January 8.
- Mainland China has been designated as the fourth independent region within the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) ecosystem, joining North America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.
- The first on-site OWCS championship event will take place in April at the Hangzhou Esports Centre, featuring eight teams competing from all four global regions.
OverActive Media Reveals Movistar KOI Plans for 2025
OverActive Media has outlined a strategic restructuring and expansion plan for its European esports operations, centered on the Movistar KOI brand.
- OverActive Media has secured a naming rights partnership with Telefónica for its European esports operations, rebranding MAD Lions to Movistar KOI for the 2025 season.
- The partnership with Telefónica covers multiple competitive circuits, including the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), Valorant Champions Tour EMEA (VCT EMEA), and the Superliga.
- OverActive Media will launch a new Fortnite squad in 2025, which will be supported by a custom-branded team map.
OverActive Media Discontinues Toronto Defiant Brand
OverActive Media has officially announced the discontinuation of its Toronto Defiant brand, marking the company’s exit from Overwatch 2 esports for the 2025 season.
- OverActive Media is officially discontinuing the Toronto Defiant brand and will not compete in Overwatch 2 esports for the 2025 season.
- CEO Adam Adamou confirmed that if the company returns to Overwatch competition in 2026, it will do so under a new brand identity.
- The Toronto Defiant was originally established in 2018 as an expansion team for the now-defunct Overwatch League.
Overwatch 2 and EA FC 25 Confirmed for 2025 Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup Foundation has officially confirmed that Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 and Electronic Arts’ EA FC 25 will be featured titles in the 2025 Esports World Cup.
- Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 and EA’s EA FC 25 have been confirmed as official titles for the 2025 Esports World Cup, scheduled to begin in July 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- The Call of Duty League has committed to a three-year deal with the Esports World Cup Foundation and is adjusting its competitive calendar to accommodate the summer event.
- The Esports World Cup is an eight-week, multi-title competition operated by the ESL FACEIT Group, a subsidiary of the Saudi government-owned Savvy Games Group.
Deadlock Takes Live Streaming Viewership from MOBAs and Hero Shooters
The emergence of Valve’s alpha-stage title, Deadlock, has significantly disrupted the live-streaming landscape for MOBA and hero shooter genres.
- Valve’s new title, Deadlock, generated 7 million hours watched and a peak viewership of 124,000 within six days of its NDA being lifted on August 23, 2024.
- Concurrent player counts for Deadlock surged from 20,000 during the pre-NDA leak period to 75,000 immediately following the official lifting of the NDA.
- The game’s launch significantly impacted established titles, causing average minute viewership (AMA) declines of 11.9% for Dota 2, 6.9% for Overwatch 2, 24.3% for Apex Legends, and 41% for Rust.
OWCS World Finals Set for DreamHack Stockholm
Blizzard Entertainment and the ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) have announced that the inaugural Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) World Finals will take place at DreamHack Stockholm in Sweden from November 22–24, 2024.
- The Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) World Finals will take place at the inaugural DreamHack Stockholm from November 22–24, 2024, at Stockholmsmässan in Sweden.
- This event marks the first major in-person European tournament for Overwatch since the 2018 Overwatch World Cup qualifiers.
- Eight top-tier teams will compete in the tournament to determine the inaugural OWCS Champions.
Marvel Rivals Twitch Drops Hype: A Superhuman 4.7M Hours Watched
The upcoming hero shooter Marvel Rivals, developed by NetEase, has demonstrated significant pre-release momentum on live-streaming platforms.
- NetEase’s upcoming hero shooter 'Marvel Rivals' generated 4.7 million hours of viewership across three Twitch Drops campaigns held between July 25 and August 3, 2024.
- The initial Twitch Drops event reached a peak concurrent viewership of 109,000, demonstrating strong pre-release interest in the title.
- Despite not yet being released, 'Marvel Rivals' has already accounted for nearly 15% of all Marvel-related game viewership on live-streaming platforms over the past 12 months.
Talon Esports Partners With Certified Saudi Arabia, XP.GG
Talon Esports, a global organization based in Hong Kong, has expanded its commercial footprint through two strategic partnerships aimed at enhancing brand visibility and digital engagement.
- Hong Kong-based Talon Esports has entered into a partnership with Saudi Arabian streetwear brand Certified Saudi Arabia to release a limited-edition apparel collection featuring the organizations' respective bird logos.
- The apparel collaboration, facilitated by Hawk Gaming Group, launches on July 29, 2024, to coincide with Talon Esports' participation in the World Cup in Riyadh, where they are competing in PUBG Mobile, Starcraft 2, and Rainbow 6 Siege.
- Talon Esports has also partnered with Melbourne-based Perion Labs to promote XP.GG, a blockchain-based gaming platform launching on August 1, 2024.
Hearthstone Returns to China
Blizzard Entertainment has officially announced the return of the digital card game Hearthstone to the mainland Chinese market, effective September 25, 2024.
- Blizzard Entertainment will officially relaunch Hearthstone in mainland China on September 25, 2024, following a partnership renewal with NetEase.
- The relaunch is facilitated by NetEase-owned Thunder Fire Group, which will serve as the game's distributor in the region.
- The 2024 Hearthstone Masters Tour World Championship will feature 16 players, including four participants from China qualifiers.