- The sports world has been brought to a standstill in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with marquee events including the Olympics, the Masters, and the Kentucky Derby all being forced to push back their scheduled dates.
- While sports fans wait for the return of the NBA and their other favorite leagues, the Overwatch League and other esports can offer a solid viewing experience for those looking to watch competition play out at the highest level.
- We've put together a beginner's guide to the Overwatch League for new fans looking to dive into the action, from the basics of the game to the key teams and players you'll want to keep an eye on this weekend.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought the sports world to a sudden stop, with leagues around the world forced to suspend or even cancel play to slow the spread of the virus.
While there are still sports stories to follow, those looking to watch top athletes perform at the highest level have been left struggling to fill the void. People looking to scratch the competitive itch in a real way can turn to the Overwatch League, which returns to action this weekend with two full slates of matches.
For those new to the esports world, we've broken down the basics of both the game and the league to help you understand the game, pick a team, and find something to root for as the sports world at large remains suspended until further notice.
What is Overwatch?
Overwatch is a six-on-six, team-based, first-person shooter game. It was released in 2016, with regular updates since its launch.
The game can be played on all major consoles, but the highest level of competitive Overwatch is contested on PCs.
How does the game work?
The goal of Overwatch depends on the type of map that is being played. There are four different map types — Control, Assault, Escort, and Hybrid — each with its own fundamental goal for each team.
On a control map, both teams fight to maintain control of a central point on the map. On an escort map, one side attempts to move a payload forward, while their opponents try to stop their progress.
Ultimately, the main objective of all the maps is to kill opposing players and keep your teammates alive.
How do heroes work?
Overwatch consists of 31 heroes that fall into one of three categories — damage, tank, and support. Each team is built with two heroes from each group to form a balanced attack.
Each hero has different abilities that can be used in a variety of ways — there are snipers and grenade launchers, machine guns and energy beams, a wide range of shields and healing abilities. A few of them can fly. While the different types of skills may seem overwhelming at first, the easiest way to learn is by watching and playing.
What is the Overwatch League?
Overwatch League is where the best players in the world compete.
Now in its third season, Overwatch League is made up of 20 teams from around the world, all fighting to win at the Grand Finals this fall.
Right now, it's the only game in town for sports fans looking for a new kind of competitive outlet. For casual fans of Overwatch, the return of the league this weekend is a delight. However, even if you've never played the game before, the league has plenty to offer.
Where are the teams based?
The 20 teams that make up the Overwatch League are based around the world. They are as follows:
- Atlanta Reign
- Boston Uprising
- Chengdu Hunters
- Dallas Fuel
- Florida Mayhem
- Guangzhou Charge
- Hangzhou Spark
- Houston Outlaws
- London Spitfire
- Los Angeles Gladiators
- Los Angeles Valiant
- New York Excelsior
- Paris Eternal
- Philadelphia Fusion
- San Francisco Shock
- Seoul Dynasty
- Shanghai Dragons
- Toronto Defiant
- Vancouver Titans
- Washington Justice
For the first two seasons of the league's existence, all teams played out of Los Angeles, but for the 2020 season, the league began play with a series of "Homestands" that brought the action to fans around the world, with one team serving as host to a weekend filled with matches.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the homestands to be postponed for now, but the league will restart the action this weekend through online play.
Which teams should I be paying attention to?
First and foremost, it's a lot of fun to support your local team just as you would for any other sport.
I'm a Philadelphia sports homer, so I quickly adopted the Fusion as my team when the league began, and it has been a wild ride since.
However, if you're looking to jump on board with a team that will be especially fun to watch in the coming weeks, here are a few options.
San Francisco Shock
As the reigning champions of the Overwatch League, the San Francisco Shock are probably the easiest team to jump into supporting. They're the best there is, and play a fantastic, team-centric style led by Super on main tank and 2019 OWL MVP Sinatraa playing damage.
The Shock can sometimes feel like watching the Kansas City Chiefs or peak-era Golden State Warriors dominance — the match won't be close, but it's still impossible to look away.
Vancouver Titans
The Vancouver Titans were the most exciting story in Overwatch to follow through the 2019 season. The season before, they weren't even in the league, playing as Team RunAway in the Overwatch Contenders series — the minor league baseball of OWL.
RunAway won the Contenders series dominantly, and when Vancouver was officially made one of the expansion teams for the 2019 season, rather than go out and recruit a new roster piecemeal, the Titans decided to take RunAway and turn the whole squad pro.
From there, things went nuts, with the Titans tearing off an unprecedented 19-match win streak in a run to the finals, where they would eventually fall to an unstoppable Shock team.
Imagine if a minor league baseball team got promoted to the majors because the league decided to bring the Montreal Expos back, and they proceeded to dominate every team in the league for two-thirds of the season.
That's Vancouver.
Philadelphia Fusion
The Philadelphia Fusion has been a compelling group to watch since the first season of the Overwatch League. After a middling regular season in 2018, the Fusion caught fire to make a run to the Grand Finals of the league's first year, only to fall to the London Spitfire.
This year, they look ready to contend with the best teams in the league yet again, jumping out to a blistering 5-1 record to start the season. With highlight-reel level plays from Carpe, a rejuvenated Sado on tank, and new supports FunnyAstro and Alarm holding the team together, there's no team more exciting to watch right now.
New York Excelsior
The original Overwatch powerhouse, NYXL has been a team to watch since the first season of OWL but has never been able to climb the mountain.
They're still a talented team, with 2018 MVP Jjonak as one of the best support players in Overwatch, and damage players Saebyeolbe and Libero rounding out their impressive lineup. They're off to a 5-1 start to the 2020 season — is this the year they finally breakthrough?
Shanghai Dragons
The Shanghai Dragons were the most dismal team in Overwatch in the league's inaugural season, losing every match they played to begin their time as a team 0-40.
For a while, it felt as though they were doomed to continue their Sisyphean journey through the league forever, but after a complete revamp heading into the 2019 season, the Dragons found some life. They stole their first win just three weeks into the season and then shocked the world at the Stage 3 playoffs to win the mid-season tournament.
With the opening games of 2020 scheduled to take place in China postponed due to coronavirus concerns, the Dragons have yet to play a game this season but will open their season this Saturday against Guangzhou Charge.
Chengdu Hunters
If you are looking for a team that doesn't play by the rules, Chengdu Hunters is your squad.
Through the 2019 season, league play was dominated by what was known as GOATS — a style of play that pushed teams towards tank-centric compositions and resulted in up-close, often slogging team fights. With Overwatch's potential for highlight-reel headshots and out-of-nowhere team kills, it was a bummer.
But while most teams in the league resigned themselves to GOATS, the Hunters swerved, putting out sniper-centric team composition that shook up matches at least momentarily.
The move didn't always work — the Hunters finished 2019 with a 13-15 record — but it did provide fans a pleasant respite from the GOATS comp.
Chengdu is not afraid to try something new, and it should be great to see how that mindset plays out in its 2020 campaign.
Who are the key players?
Just as basketball and football have its superstar athletes, Overwatch League has its share of game-changing players that can alter the course of a match with a moment of brilliance.
Players compete under their gamer tags, making the names of the top players in the game read something like the roster of a team from the original XFL.
Sinatraa, San Francisco Shock
If the San Francisco Shock are the Kansas City Chiefs of Overwatch League, Sinatraa is their Patrick Mahomes. Sinatraa was signed to the Shock through the 2018 season, but couldn't play as he was still just 17 years old. Once he turned 18, he lit up the league as no player had before, carrying the Shock to the title behind some spectacular play on Doomfist, one of the biggest damage-dealers in the game.
Like Mahomes, Sinatraa is one of the few players in the league that can make you believe that any comeback is possible.
Poko and Carpe, Philadelphia Fusion
The Fusion have been the most compelling team to watch so far this season, thanks mostly to the astounding play of Carpe and the emergence of FunnyAstro and Alarm as one of the best support tandems in the league.
But the Fusion have also leaned into another time-honored Philadelphia tradition this year — trash talk. While the team will still exchange "ggs" with their opponents after a match, Poko, one of the leaders of the squad, has not spared words on Twitter about how confident the team is in its chances for the coming season.
The Fusion have a swagger about them this year that could pay off in a big way.
Jjonak, NYXL
The first OWL MVP is still one of the best players out there.
Along with teammate Saebyeolbe, Jjonak relies on a relentless style of play that overwhelms the opposition. Don't be fooled by his position as a support player — Jjonak is one of the deadliest competitors in all of Overwatch.
Fusions, Boston Uprising
When the Overwatch League switched to its Homestand format this season, with teams traveling to host cities for their matches as opposed to playing entirely in Los Angeles, no player embraced the ire of opposing fans quite like Boston Uprising tank Fusions.
Fusions is eager to engage with the crowd, encouraging boos and jeers from the stage during team introductions. He's clearly enjoying himself out there.
He's a solid player that is not at all afraid of the moment, and has been one of the best examples of how the league's new format can help bring fans even closer to the action.
Diem, Shanghai Dragons
For casual fans jumping into the Overwatch League for the first time, the most enticing plays the league can offer you are headshots, and no sniper in the league is more capable of popping off than Diem on Widowmaker.
At All-Star Weekend in 2019, Diem took down the best snipers in Overwatch to win the Widowmaker 1v1 tournament — imagine it as a three-point contest, but for headshots.
With a few perfectly placed cross-map shots, Diem can change the pace of a fight and with it the match.
This all sounds great! Where can I watch?
Games are streamed live on YouTube Gaming. You can check out the full slate for this weekend below.
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