After months of waiting, Blizzard Entertainment has announced a wealth of information and details about the 2023 Overwatch League season. As part of a lot of information, we are told when the season will start, the events that are planned, and also how the divisions will be framed given the current situation with Blizzard games in China.
The 2023 season kicks off March 23 with a three-week Pro-Am tournament. This will give Contenders teams the opportunity to join the Overwatch League West region in a 20-team field tournament. The winner of this event will receive $100,000.
The next stage will be the Spring Stage, where teams from the West will compete as usual to qualify for the first Major of the year, while the East Division will use more of a Pro-Am format, where the Contenders and Open Division list will be given. . a chance to earn spots in the Spring Stage Knockouts and potentially even Mid-Season Madness.
As for the Mid-Season Madness Major, it’s scheduled for June and will see four teams from the West and two from the East face off in a live double-elimination format. More details on this will come in the future.
After Midseason Madness comes the Summer Stage, which will mirror the Spring Stage format and lead into the Summer Stage Qualifiers, all before the Play-Ins and Playoffs scheduled for September and October.
While it doesn’t look like a very long season, it will hopefully encourage wider competition as Contenders and Open Division teams join the fray in a few places. Check out the full program below.