I loved Bliizzard's approach to eSports. Demanding $20 million for a franchise slot from out of touch traditional sports ownership groups was an all time grift.
Ya it was like directly after Overwatch launched. They tried to launch and market it as an eSport from the beta. Game had a lot of interest leading up to the launch, did massive sales and had potential investors high on the prospect So they went from city to city getting people like Bob Kraft of the Patriots and Cuban (I think) of the Mavericks buying these crazy expensive slots.
Then the game, like every non DotA / Starcraft / CS / LoL game in the past, hit peak player base at launch and bled players a month or so later. By the time they launched the Overwatch League they were nowhere near their launch numbers and a minority % of the remaining were all that interested in watching. It had a decent following but nothing even remotely close to justify what the outside investors put in.
At least that's what I remember from watching it all unfold on the dotamasterrace sub.
At least that's what I remember from watching it all unfold on the dotamasterrace sub.
As someone who has followed OWL pretty closely, that is all pretty accurate. In reality the playerbase was/is a little healthier than it is in your telling. The league exceeded expectations its first year and its success allowed Blizzard to scam 8 more groups into buying team slots for more than $20million this go around.
Then, as expected of Blizzard and e-sports, they completely shit the bed. Move to youtube from twitch. Focus on the chinese market more. Bunch of other dumb decisions. Finally, Covid came in and put the nail in the coffin, forcing everything online during the season when home/away games were going to start.
I'm definitely biased when it comes to that question because I fucking loved watching GOATs. Moreover, people complain about every single meta without fail. I think it's the length of the meta more than anything that hurts. I think it's more that Blizzard is just incredibly incompetent when it comes to promoting/supporting e-sports. Watchpoint in season 1 was an amazing program, but instead of continuing along those avenues they just cut everything and it seems like the developer team and e-sports team don't even talk.
the thing is grant (who really did nothing wrong besides be a socially awkward alcoholic) couldve just kept his channel alive and flipped BTS and EG the bird, but his self esteem is so low he just euthanized his career instead, makes me really sad, he was the only twitch streamer i consistently watched.
*undead. Which is ironic since undead is not a race in it. It was funny when HomeStoryCup last weekend suddenly stalled because the servers shat the bed and it became impossible to host custom games on NA and EU.
28 comments
11 CosmoSucks 2021-03-16
I loved Bliizzard's approach to eSports. Demanding $20 million for a franchise slot from out of touch traditional sports ownership groups was an all time grift.
6 ironicshitpostr 2021-03-16
Srsly?
Nice
9 CosmoSucks 2021-03-16
Ya it was like directly after Overwatch launched. They tried to launch and market it as an eSport from the beta. Game had a lot of interest leading up to the launch, did massive sales and had potential investors high on the prospect So they went from city to city getting people like Bob Kraft of the Patriots and Cuban (I think) of the Mavericks buying these crazy expensive slots.
Then the game, like every non DotA / Starcraft / CS / LoL game in the past, hit peak player base at launch and bled players a month or so later. By the time they launched the Overwatch League they were nowhere near their launch numbers and a minority % of the remaining were all that interested in watching. It had a decent following but nothing even remotely close to justify what the outside investors put in.
At least that's what I remember from watching it all unfold on the dotamasterrace sub.
2 __TIE_Guy 2021-03-16
LOL and dota have done well and endured. .
1 DuckSosu 2021-03-16
As someone who has followed OWL pretty closely, that is all pretty accurate. In reality the playerbase was/is a little healthier than it is in your telling. The league exceeded expectations its first year and its success allowed Blizzard to scam 8 more groups into buying team slots for more than $20million this go around.
Then, as expected of Blizzard and e-sports, they completely shit the bed. Move to youtube from twitch. Focus on the chinese market more. Bunch of other dumb decisions. Finally, Covid came in and put the nail in the coffin, forcing everything online during the season when home/away games were going to start.
1 johannesalthusius 2021-03-16
Did Brigitte actually kill a whole esports scene
1 DuckSosu 2021-03-16
I'm definitely biased when it comes to that question because I fucking loved watching GOATs. Moreover, people complain about every single meta without fail. I think it's the length of the meta more than anything that hurts. I think it's more that Blizzard is just incredibly incompetent when it comes to promoting/supporting e-sports. Watchpoint in season 1 was an amazing program, but instead of continuing along those avenues they just cut everything and it seems like the developer team and e-sports team don't even talk.
7 Zero5urvivers 2021-03-16
I would have effortposted about this but my desire to do so is about as dead as Overwatch League.
7 AlohaWarrior35 2021-03-16
Callind vidya s*orts is an insult to handegg and shooty-hoops fans.
5 mechakingghidorah 2021-03-16
Whats CDL?
8 HodorTheDoorHolder__ 2021-03-16
Commercial Driving License
5 Zero5urvivers 2021-03-16
Call of Duty League? No idea but whatever it was it was more irrelevant than Overwatch League.
5 JeanPeuplu 2021-03-16
https://twitter.com/jasonschreier /status/1371938015375937547
At least they'll be able to play WoW while being unemployed, what a nice gesture.
2 Dysiak 2021-03-16
"Can I at least get that $200 dollars as part of my severance? It will help buy my family groceries and-"
"No. Keep playing our games idiot"
4 DeanofPSU 2021-03-16
Good, only Esport worth watching is DOTA2 and even then only once a year. And if you're a basement dwelling nerdlinger.
3 Coonass_alt 2021-03-16
Dota without grand grant and Tobi blows.
4 duckraul2 2021-03-16
unironically if I cant watch my doter casted by a walmart greeter and get analysis from an argentinian in funny suits what is even the point?
2 Coonass_alt 2021-03-16
the thing is grant (who really did nothing wrong besides be a socially awkward alcoholic) couldve just kept his channel alive and flipped BTS and EG the bird, but his self esteem is so low he just euthanized his career instead, makes me really sad, he was the only twitch streamer i consistently watched.
1 [deleted] 2021-03-16
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1 JeanPeuplu 2021-03-16
There's no subreddit link you dumb fucking bot
1 [deleted] 2021-03-16
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1 JeanPeuplu 2021-03-16
I hate you jc
1 [deleted] 2021-03-16
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1 lickedTators 2021-03-16
Starcraft remains supreme.
1 ArachnoLibrarian 2021-03-16
*undead. Which is ironic since undead is not a race in it. It was funny when HomeStoryCup last weekend suddenly stalled because the servers shat the bed and it became impossible to host custom games on NA and EU.