That Blizzard have made a game with exciting gameplay and memorable moments is the biggest reason to be hopeful...
Way back in April, we published a blog looking ahead to the then-imminent release of Overwatch – Blizzard’s brand new shooter.
Blizzard had hoped that mixing first person shooter and MOBA ingredients would make for the perfect eSports cake.
Back then we were optimistic – it looked like Blizzard was taking on board-fan comments, and we were hoping for a game that was both accessible and meaningful.
So how do things stand now, roughly three months after the game’s release?
Upon release, Overwatch was met with shining reviews, and received praise for being accessible, rich in design and detail and, most importantly, a whole lot of fun.
So far so good, but a good game doesn’t necessarily make for a good eSport.
Crucially, Overwatch was also extremely well received by the gamers themselves, and has built a sturdy, committed and growing community.
In fact, Overwatch was the fastest selling game during its release month, and has actually overtaken League of Legends as the most popular game in South Korea’s PC bangs.
A sturdy fan base is critical for any title with eSports ambitions – if nobody follows the game, who’s going to follow professionals playing the game?
Thankfully, the game is in a strong position on that front, if the amount of fan art and volume of Reddit discussion is anything to go by.
It’s been over three months now, so has all this success translated into eSports longevity?
There are many promising indicators. Firstly, take a look at the number of well-established eSports institutions that have thrown their lot in with Overwatch.
Fnatic, Team EnVyUs, Team Liquid, Cloud9, NewBee, G2 Esports – these are just a few of the respected organisations that have forayed into Overwatch.
There are also plenty of new teams who are making their first leap into eSports with Overwatch, which is surely a healthy sign.
We’re already seeing ‘titanic’ teams emerge from competitive Overwatch, which helps make the scene more exciting.
EnVyUs have racked up numerous tournament titles, while Rogue recently won the Atlantic Showdown – the game’s biggest event so far.
Indeed, the size of the events and the money involved all point to a successful start for Overwatch in the world of eSports.
The Atlantic Showdown featured a six-figure prize pool, with a first place prize of $40,000.
Of course that’s still some way off the enormous first place prize for something like The International – this year it was over $9 million – but it’s early days.
Plus, Overwatch is currently the fastest growing eSport.
In fact, if its current rate of prize pools per month keeps pace or, as is more likely, increases, it will soon be bigger than CS:GO.
Another key ingredient to make a game a successful eSport, just like in regular sport, is drama.
Sport is an entertainment, after all. Remember when Leicester City won the Premier League and everyone went crazy?
Overwatch has already had its share of upsets and dramas, most notably Rogue’s nail-biting 3-2 victory over favourite EnVyUs at the Atlantic Showdown.
EnVyUs had pretty much cleared up at every tournament they’ve attended so far, and there was little reason to expect anything different at the Atlantic.
However, Rogue took the tournament by storm, knocking out EnVyUs and beating REUNITED in the final.
It was a great underdog story – in fact, $40,000 of Rogue’s total Overwatch winnings of $47,701 came from this one tournament.
This is another healthy indicator for Overwatch’s chances of thriving in eSports.
Everyone knows who the giants of LoL and CS:GO are, and the same dozen top teams dominate more or less every tournament.
Overwatch provides new teams, fresh talents and underdog organisations with the chance to make a name for themselves before the scene really settles.
This adds to the drama and the excitement that is so essential for any entertainment media to take off.
One question that does linger over the game’s future is just how involved Blizzard will be going forward.
Recently on the League of Legends scene, Riot’s protectionism has been causing untold grief for players, teams and sponsors.
Whether Blizzard follows this route will have a huge impact on just how big Overwatch becomes.
If they are protective of the Overwatch content produced – tournaments and broadcasting, for example – they can make a lot of money.
However, it would also be likely to curb the title’s growth as an eSport.
So far the signs are promising that Blizzard will follow the open market approach – there have been numerous tournament owners and broadcasters involved.
An open market would almost certainly help the game achieve its potential as an eSport, and it’s the model that eSports organisations generally prefer.
We’ll have to wait and see just what Blizzard has planned for Overwatch going forward. But so far signs are good, and the game’s reception has been extremely positive.
At the end of the day, the fact that Blizzard have made a great, balanced game with exciting gameplay and memorable moments is the biggest reason to be hopeful.
Want to find out what happens next? Overwatch this space.
