Chinese Overwatch League franchise Chengdu Hunters have left the league after missing half of the 2023 season.
The Chengdu Hunters have exited OWL, according to a report from GGRecon. The Chinese Overwatch League franchise was a part of the league’s Season 2 expansion into Asia and Europe in 2018. The franchise’s roster reportedly disbanded on May 9, according to The Esports Advocate, and the team has been on a competitive hiatus since April.
“The Chengdu Hunters have exited the Overwatch League,” an Overwatch League spokesperson told GGRecon. “The organization communicated to the League a shift in their overall strategic objectives, and we wish them well with their new direction.”
The team has not been a part of the Overwatch League since the start of Season 6 and has not posted on socials since January 23.
Chengdu Hunters out of OWL
Goodbye and see you again. pic.twitter.com/rNzukKbYBU
— Chengdu Hunters (@ChengduHunters) January 23, 2023
The reason for the Chinese team’s absence from the league is due to Overwatch’s shutdown in mainland China. Activision Blizzard’s distributor in China, NetEase, declined to renew its contract with the publisher, meaning all Blizzard titles were unplayable in the country.
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Other Chinese OWL teams like the Shanghai Dragons and Hangzhou Spark have found ways to practice the game and continue competing in the league, but Chengdu, seemingly, was not as lucky.
The news of the Hunter’s demise is not a shock as many were waiting for an official announcement to declare the franchise dead in the water or to give fans hope that it could return at a later date.
The Chinese Overwatch franchise never managed to win anything in the league, but it placed second in multiple events like the Countdown Cup and Summer Showdown.
The franchise’s exit from OWL comes just weeks after the Toronto Defiant announced it had reached a deal with the league to waive what was left of its franchise fees. It is not known if Chengdu has any outstanding franchise payments for the league. The team was owned by HUYA Inc., a live streaming platform in China.