If there was a company out there that is taking the eSports scene seriously, then its most definitely Activision Blizzard when it comes to Overwatch. The Overwatch League is set to kick off in 2018, which will revolutionize the professional stage of gaming, as city-based teams will be established with salaries, benefits and player protections.
This is something that was touched on at Blizzcon last year, and has now been detailed further by Activision Blizzard. One highlight in particular is that players in the League will earn at least $50,000 a year, with a guaranteed year-long contract with their respective teams. Also, health insurance and retirement savings will be will be provided to each player as a requirement for each organization, with at least half of the bonuses earned by the team going to the players. The first season offers a bonus pool of $3.5 million, meaning that the winners stand to win $1 million. This money won’t come easy, however. Only the players who are of a high enough skill level and of a certain age will be eligible to participate.
There are currently seven confirmed teams in the Overwatch league, with Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Miami-Orlando, San Francisco, Shanghai and Seoul all competing. More are to be confirmed in the future, as Blizzard look to advance the League on even more of a global scale.
