STATES CHRONICLE – Blizzard Entertainment gained large experience in the esport industry starting with the StarCraft series. However, the company didn’t rush to turn its successful shooter Overwatch into a competitive field at first. Instead, it allowed users to grow into a tight-knit community and help developers improve the game. Nonetheless, the time has come for Overwatch to step forward as an esports league. It is going to have the financial support of HP and Intel for that.
By 2020, eSports Will Be a $1.5 Billion Worth Market
Thanks to its international success, Overwatch had it easy to lure in investors and grow into a competitive shooter game. HP announced that its Omen by HP brand is going to be a major sponsor for the Overwatch league. This collaboration is slated to last for more than one year.
Both HP and Intel announced their support for Overwatch transition to an esports league during BlizzCon 2017 in Anaheim, California. According to various reports, this gaming industry is expected to reach a value of $1.5 billion in three years.
As a result, Overwatch League tournaments are going to use Omen by HP computers and displays exclusively. The hardware in its turn will be powered by Intel’s new Core i7 and i9 processors.
Blizzard has already begun to manage team owners and inspire local teams to join their competition. There will be a preseason period on December 6 while the official action will begin next year on January 10.
Overwatch Will Become an Esports League with the Support of Intel and HP
At this point, 12 new teams are in the race. None of them has joined any other esports league so far. They represent various nations from Asia, North America, and Europe. Some of the teams like Seoul Dynasty or Cloud9 have already revealed inside specs with the intention to spark interest in the event.
Both Intel and HP intend to support the Overwatch community throughout any upcoming competitive events outside the league as well. All three parties delivered official statements that mark the beginning of a fruitful collaboration. Overwatch League will equip teams with top-end technology while the companies will take advantage of the momentum the shooter grew within the gaming industry.
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