Overwatch League gains new teams from Atlanta and Guangzhou
When The Overwatch League’s 2019 season starts, you’ll see two new teams compete for the chance to be crowned as the tournament’s second champion. Blizzard has officially welcomed the cities of Atlanta, Georgia and Guangzhou, China to the league, expanding its reach and bringing it to more fans across the globe. They’ve yet to reveal their team names, rosters and emblems, but Blizzard has revealed the companies paying for their entry. Communications and automotive services conglomerate Cox Enterprises owns the Atlanta team, while the Nenking Group, which also owns the Guangzhou Long Lions basketball team, is behind the Guangzhou team.
The two will compete against the 12 groups from the previous season, including 2018 champion London Spitfire. They might also compete against a handful of other new entries, because Blizzard expects up to four more teams to join next year’s tournament. One other potential contender is Paris, which will reportedly join the league as one of next season’s expansion cities. Considering the first season’s success –despite a few controversies — we’ll likely meet more teams before the 2019 games begin.
Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues chief Pete Vlastelica said in a statement:
“After thrilling fans with an amazing Grand Finals at the Barclays Center, we’re excited to follow that up by expanding the Overwatch League next season. We’re pleased to add the Atlanta and Guangzhou teams to the ownership group, and we look forward to bringing the league to even more fans across both regions in 2019.”
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