Overwatch Contenders Overview
Tournament Overview
Overwatch Contenders (OWC) is a series of professional Overwatch tournaments held around the world, organized by Blizzard Entertainment.
Overwatch Contenders is a series below the Overwatch League that gives aspiring pro players a chance to be seen. Contenders began in 2017 in Contenders Season Zero in Europe and North America. In 2018 it expanded in 7 regions:
- North America
- South America
- Australia
- China
- Europe
- Korea
- Pacific
Schedule, Teams, and Format
North America and Europe have the same format so we will explain them combined. Australian, Chinese and Korean formats will be discussed separately.
North America and Europe
North America and Europe each have three seasons in 2021 with one tournament week every month. Each season is held with 8 teams. It is played as a Double Elimination bracket.
The prize pool of each season for each region is $83,400 (spread $41,700 for every monthly tournament).
First Season NA, EU for 2021
- Starting Date: 2021.03.29
- End Date: 2021.05.04
Season 2 NA, EU for 2021
- Starting Date: 2021.06.14
- End Date: 2021.07.20
Season 3 NA, EU for 2021
- Starting Date: 2021.09.06
- End Date: 2021.10.08
Some of the participating teams from North America are:
- American Tornado,
- Malice,
- Bobby Wasabi,
- Uprising Academy,
- WISP.
Some of the participating teams from Europe are:
- British Hurricane,
- Raspberry Racers,
- Falcon Esports EU,
- Sheer Cold,
- AWW YEAH,
- Shu’s Money Crew EU.
Australia
Australia has two seasons with 6 teams each and a combined prize pool of $100,000
The Regular Season is in a Round Robin format. The top 4 teams advance to the Playoffs. The playoffs are played as a double-elimination bracket.
First season of 2021 :
- Start Date: 2021.03.11
- End Date: 2021.05.06
Second season:
- Start Date: 2021.08.12
- End Date: 2021.10.21
Some of the participating teams:
- Dire Wolves
- Ground Zero Gaming
- WILL BE
- Mindfreak
- Warriors Esports
China
Overwatch Contenders in China has 2 seasons each with 8 teams and a prize pool of $175,000.
The Group Stage is played as a round-robin. The top 4 teams advance to the Knockout Stage. The Knockout Stage is a double-elimination bracket. The Playoffs are also a double-elimination bracket.
Season 1
- Start Date: 2021.03.24
- End Date: 2021.06.20
Season 2
- Start Date: 2021.07.14
- End Date: 2021.10.17
Some of the Chinese teams are:
- Team Chaser
- Bilibili Gaming
- Time Resume
- Up Academy
- INTRO WAVE
- First Fabulous Fighter
Korea
Korea has two seasons but played in a more complex way. There are 10 teams each season fighting for a $175,000 USD shared prize pool.
The first stage has 2 rounds. The first round of trials is played as a single-elimination bracket with Bo5 matches. The top 2 teams advance to the second round. The second round is a double-elimination bracket also played as Bo5
The Group Stage is Round Robin with Bo5 games. The top 8 teams advance to the interleague. There are also matches played as Bo5 and the teams advance to playoffs. The playoffs are played as King of the Hill.
Season 1:
- Start Date: 2021.03.15
- End Date: 2021.05.18
Season 2
- Start Date: 2021.08.02
- End Date: 2021.10.10
Teams:
- T1
- Talon Esports
- 02Blast
- Team CC
- Gen.G esports
- RunAway
Prize Pool
The combined total prize pool from all regions for the year is $1,300,000.
Previous Winners:
| Season and Region | Winner |
|---|---|
| Season 1 and 2 Australia 2021 | Dire Wolves |
| Season 1 and 2 China 2021 | Team Chaser |
| Season 1 and 2 Korea 2021 | O2 Blast |
| Season 1 and 2 Europe 2021 | British Hurricane |
| Season 1 North America 2021 | American Tornado |
| Season 2 North America 2021 | TBA |
| Season 3 Europe 2021 | TBA |
| Season 3 North America 2021 | TBA |
Get the latest news on the Official Site and watch the matches on Overwatch’s Twitch.
