How the Overwatch league brings together hard and casual fans



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Eve is one of the greatest gaming sensations of this generation. Players from all walks of life do not seem to have enough of Blizzard's Hero Shooter. Eve is a huge presence in the world of electronic sports.

The Overwatch league (OWL) follows the pattern of traditional professional sports. The teams are based in specific cities and supported by owners, including celebrities such as Shaquille O'Neal, Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez. The league has regular seasons and athletes receive a minimum wage, benefits and even a share of earnings and income based on their performance. It's as professional as possible, especially in the world of sports.

What is it? Eve this makes it a cultural phenomenon? How does OWL bring together both hardcore video players and people who are interested in Eve? Since I do not play the game, I can not answer these questions myself. Fortunately, I have a few close friends who work or have worked in the gaming industry and who are very familiar with the popular Blizzard title. I asked them a series of questions to find out what it was all about Eve and the OWL that makes it perfect for both hardcore and casual audiences. What I discovered was very enlightening.

Gary A. Swaby is an independent game journalist who co-founded The Koalition website. Although originally he did not know much about it Evehe quickly became a huge fan. For him, the game is distinguished by his team work.

"What attracts me the most is that it's different from the usual first-person shooter games that are problem-oriented," says Gary. "In Eveit is important to know which team can best use their heroes. Killing the material to a certain extent, but it's not the most important thing. You are instead forced to think about the synergy of the team, playing your role effectively and achieving the goal. Unlike most shooters, no hero plays the same way. They each have unique movements and abilities.

While Gary is a big fan of Evehe was not exactly an avid spectator of Esports. As a video game journalist, he knew Esports well but never really followed him. Despite this, he finally started checking some OWL streams and broadcasts of some of his individual players. However, his perception of Esports and OWL dramatically changed when he had the chance to cover the Big Overwatch league final at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn last month.

"By participating in the Overwatch league final, I was able to see first-hand how many players in the league had converted. There were people present to support their city, but what surprised me was the technical knowledge of the game that they had, even though they only became fans of the game recently.

The event not only changed his opinion on Esports, but also allowed him to better appreciate the passion of sports fans.

"That made me realize how important Esports can be. Just thinking that this game I fell in love with has the power to sell the Barclays Center is crazy for me. Especially when people pay to watch others play. It also allowed me to see first hand how teenage players can become stars, just by mastering a game. I even became a fan of some players and I never thought it would be an investment in a game. esport.

I have never been a fan of sports, but being so invested in OWL, I find myself able to understand my brother's obsession with football. I now know this feeling of wanting your favorite teams to win and to be disappointed when they get destroyed. It's something I've never understood before falling in love with this game. "

At the event, Gary had the chance to meet a lot of Eve players. This includes athletes, participants, journalists and commentators. In talking to all these different people, Gary really realized how much his favorite game is gargantuan.

"I was able to meet other members of the media who report on the league. I've also talked with casual fans around the room. There was even an opportunity a few days after the end of the event when I wore a t-shirt and hat for one of the Overwatch teams. A stranger who had attended the event recognized the equipment of the brand team and reported it and we had a conversation. I discovered that they had also attended the event. Overwatch League is so huge that it brings people together for mutual love for the game and the league.

Meet and talk with Eve The fans gave Gary a glimpse of what brings these disparate audiences together. Regardless of the level of skill or interest of each, it is the sense of community and competitiveness that ultimately holds it all together.

"This is nice for casual viewers because of their inviting visuals and their friendly characters. The memes of the game are also very popular and it attracts more people. The hardcore audience loves it because of its competitive appearance. For me, there is nothing more intense than a close competitive mode that matches the thread and could go both ways. It's a feeling that not all games give me

Nothing in the game is ever permanent. What is hot one day is boring the next day. Gary does not believe this is the case with what Eve made for Esports. In fact, he thinks it will only be bigger in the future.

"I think Blizzard is going to develop the Esports industry and it will benefit other games. There are major investors in this Overwatch team, all over the world and with that, I think it will become a billion dollar industry one day.

Johnathan Gibbs is a content creator / interpreter and host of This QPOC Life podcast. Like Gary, Johnathan is a passionate and passionate player. Although not as fanatical as Gary on the subject Evehe knew it before the grand finale of the OWL.

"I had a basic knowledge of EveSaid Johnathan. "I had heard about it during its development. I bought it the day of its release, and I thought it would become an Esport, like many other games that had attracted attention, while Esports continued to increase . I had no preconceived ideas before attending the grand finale. I had already attended a League of Legends Grand Final and knew how the events of Esports feltand so I did not expect anything other than that.

Although the size of the crowd did not surprise him, Johnathan was impressed by the diversity of the audience. He appreciated his interactions with participants and looks forward to attending future OWL events.

"I really enjoyed the grand finale and I hope she'll be back at Barclays Center next year. The fans were great. I think Esports will grow more, we'll see more people, but I think the crowd is already diverse. For example, the first night of the GF, I sat next to an older man. I thought that he could be the parent of some children, but I have never seen him with children. I think he was there on his own merit.

I did not really learn much except maybe the teams, but I had not really followed the OWL so far. I was not surprised to see so many people at the GF because they had been different since the release of Eve, I've seen tons of Eve cosplay. I've seen people online who are hardcore Eve. I saw memes and messages and I knew that Eve is a popular game so I was not surprised to see so many people. "

As Gary mentioned, the strong community aspect was obvious to Johnathan. The seating arrangement of the event allowed everyone to meet and discuss his favorite game.

"There was a great sense of camaraderie at Barclays. In my opinion, this is partly because they were general admission seats. There were no seats allocated. There is not really a bad place in the arena because there is a giant screen with the game and statistics. I could surround myself with crowds of people who really like this game and that inspired me. I may not be playing too much, but I will definitely follow the league for season two.

Johnathan did not delay Eve player to someone with a favorite OWL team.

"The specific aspect of the OWL Grand Finals that has struck me the most is the people's loyalty to these teams, and I'm not sure it's due to the names of cities, but rather to the players on the teams. He clicked for me when I became a fan of London. As … in just two days to attend and watch the Spitfire game in London, listening to the comment and watching their performance, I discovered a great level of respect for them and their players.

He also has a favorite player.

"I like profit. He is so cute."

Like Gary, Johnathan thinks things will only get bigger for the OWL. He does not seem surprised Eve reached the heights of popularity it currently enjoys.

"Blizzard has always been a great company and people love FPS games. That alone could explain why Eve has become so popular, but I really think that Esports will be increasingly recognized by the entire media (ESPN, etc.) and that more and more games / events / semi / grand finals will be broadcast on television. "

Tatjana Vejnovic is a game journalist covering the Overwatch league for Overwatch Wire. She has attended league events all over the world. Because of his internal knowledge, I wanted to choose his brain to know why Eve is such a giant of the esport. For her, it's about presentation, accessibility and inclusion.

"Eve is the most cinematic of all sports, "said Tatjana. "If you look Eve and compare it to League of Legends, or DOTA 2It is much easier to look at and much easier to understand for newcomers. The maps are diverse and very detailed. it's not a boring game to watch and things are constantly changing.

She goes on to say, "I would also say it's a family that is friendly, in a way. Of course, it's the players who kill each other, but it's not full of blood and blood. The game currently has 28 heroes, both female and male, from around the world (Nigeria, Egypt, Brazil, etc.). Eve can be played in a relaxed or competitive way, and the game does a decent job of connecting you with people of your own skill level. It's a lot less intimidating than other competitive games.

Although currently a big fan of Eveshe is actually a recent convert. It was only last year that she really started playing. What attracted her was the reaction of the crowd and the color commentary of her presenters. Despite little knowledge about Eveshe felt at home.

"In fact, I did not like Eve until I watched it at BlizzCon last year. I did not feel excluded because I did not know anything about the game. I went home after the BlizzCon and I started playing and I have been playing since.

These interviews have certainly allowed me to better understand Eve and its importance on the Esports scene. It's true that this is not my type of game (I prefer story-based experiences, only one player), but now, at least, I know all there is to it.

I think the last thoughts of Johnathan Gibb say it all.

"I hope that as time goes by and OWL grows, mainstream media continue to cover events. I do not see why that should not happen. It's so exciting to be alive. Sports are finally here. We live in the future! Now, even I can follow a sport and talk about statistics / games with like-minded people.

* All images in this article are courtesy of Overwatch League.

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