Blizzard is expanding its Overwatch Path to Pro with a new competition: the Overwatch League Pro-Am West. Find out how you can sign up for the qualifiers.
Sean Miller, the Head of the Overwatch League, announced on February 8 a series of changes to the esport’s circuit for the 2023 season in the first community update of the year.
In addition to a more open ecosystem in the East, where Contender teams will be able to compete with Overwatch League teams at the highest level, the developer has announced a pro-am tournament in the West to kick the season off in a big way, with $100,000 on the line.
We've been hard at work on a signature dish of our own! 🥗 Here is more information on the Overwatch League Pro-Am West. Earn your spot to compete against the Overwatch League. 😎 https://t.co/oPXgIbQHQA pic.twitter.com/1sKeWJuVxu
— Overwatch Path to Pro (@owpathtopro) February 8, 2023
To qualify for the Overwatch League Pro-Am West, teams will have to battle their way through a two-stage qualifying process that will run from March 2-12 in both NA and EMEA. There will also be a $13,500 prize pool per region.
Here is everything you need to know about the qualifiers.
Overwatch League Pro-Am West qualifiers: Schedule
- Swiss Stage (March 2-4)
- Double Elimination (March 5-12)
The qualifiers will begin with a Swiss model stage featuring up to 256 teams. There will be eight rounds of Swiss Play, with matches being played in a first-to-two map wins format.
The top teams from the Swiss stage will progress to the double-elimination stage, where they will be joined by “select top Contenders teams” from their region’s 2022 Run it Back tournament.
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In this 16-team stage, every match will be played in a first-to-three map wins format.
The advancing teams from the double-elimination stage will face the West’s Overwatch League teams in the pro-am tournament, which will start on March 24.
This competition will feature 20 teams, so it is expected that six teams will make it through the qualifiers to join the 14 West Overwatch League franchises, though Blizzard has said that specific details about the number of teams coming through the qualifiers will be shared at a later date.
Overwatch League Pro-Am West qualifiers: How to sign up
Aspiring Overwatch teams can sign up for the open qualifiers by clicking the links below. Registration closes on Friday, February 24, at 11:59 p.m. PT.