Blizzard starts OL countdown at 12

Activision Blizzard is locked and loaded for season one of Overwatch League, formally unveiling the final teams for the first go-around of the league. New franchises include Philadelphia (owned by Comcast Spectacor), Dallas (owned by Team Envy) and Houston (OpTic Gaming). With the dozen teams in place, the debut season is now slated to begin on December 6 with preseason play and a regular season kickoff starting Jan. 10. In addition to the three new franchises, cities in the league are set to include: LA (with two teams), San Francisco, Boston, New York, Miami-Orlando, with international representation from Shanghai, Seoul and London. All preseason and regular season games will take place at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, the new venue in Burbank.

“With the first 12 teams in place, we’re now just a few short months away from the inaugural season of the Overwatch League,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. “This is a huge milestone for the league; we can’t wait for the action to get underway and to see some of the top competitive Overwatch players in the world facing off to become the first-ever Overwatch League champions.”

“Comcast Spectacor is thrilled to play a central role in the Overwatch League’s inaugural season and energize the growing esports community in Philadelphia and beyond,” said Dave Scott, President and CEO, Comcast Spectacor. “An esports franchise is a great addition to our portfolio of sports and entertainment assets and we believe that Overwatch League is uniquely positioned to succeed.”

“We are beyond excited to be joining the Overwatch League and helping to build the future of esports in Dallas,” said Mike Rufail, owner and CEO of Team Envy. “Envy already has a significant history in competitive Overwatch, and we are pleased to be able to build upon that legacy in the league later this year.” Hersh Interactive Group, the esports investing entity affiliated with Hersh Family Investments, is a substantial investment partner in Team Envy, which continues to be led by Mike Rufail. The Dallas Overwatch League team is owned by a wholly owned subsidiary of Team Envy.

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