Overwatch League 2023: Start date, OWL teams, how to watch, more

The Overwatch League’s sixth season is almost upon us. Here’s everything you need in preparation for the upcoming Overwatch 2 competitive season.

The Dallas Fuel reigned supreme in 2022 as the revamped Korean roster secured the organization’s first finals trophy, but will they be able to defend their championship?

OWL teams have shifted their attention to 2023, and it’s been nothing short of a memorable Rostermania period. Boston Uprising’s new look roster garnered well-deserved pre-season buzz, and all eyes are on 2021 OWL MVP DPS Player Fleta as he chooses between OW2 and Valorant. Also, questions still loom over the New York Excelsior’s controversial roster construction.

In another exciting twist, the Overwatch League lowered the competing minimum required age to 17 from 18 for Season Six. This move should attract even more young and exciting talent to Overwatch 2.

There are plenty of exciting storylines to track for the 2023 OWL season, so let’s dive right into the details.

When does Overwatch League (OWL) 2023 begin?

Blizzard Entertainment

The OWL 2023 season begins in March.

Overwatch League circuit play is scheduled to begin on April 27 in both regions. But before that, there will be plenty of action to keep fans entertained until the main competition kicks off.

Later in February, there will be a series of pro-amateur tournaments in NA and EMEA to determine seven teams that will face off against Western Overwatch League teams in a three-week pro-am tournament. The winner of this competition, which will kick off on March 23, will earn $100,000. 

Overwatch League 2023: How to watch

All OWL matches are streamed on the Overwatch League YouTube page.

Overwatch League 2023: Format

Blizzard has overhauled the format for the 2023 season, with one of the biggest changes being the addition of Contenders teams in the East region.

In South Korea, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Australia/New Zealand (ANZ), there will be a series of tournaments with Open Division and Contender teams to determine 12 sides that will compete in Spring Stage Opens, which will run concurrent to the region’s Spring Stage Qualifiers at the Overwatch League level.

The top teams from the Spring Stage Opens will progress to the Spring Stage Knockouts, where they will be joined by the OWL teams.

Meanwhile, the West Spring Stage qualifiers will determine seeding Spring Stage Knockouts and will qualify two teams for the Midseason Madness Global Tournament. This international LAN will also feature two other West teams, determined by the Spring Stage Knockouts, as well as two East teams.

The Summer Stage will mirror the Spring Stage format, with the West region jumping directly into circuit play. In the East region, select top finishers among Contenders teams from the Spring Stage will automatically qualify for the Summer Stage Qualifiers.

Overwatch League 2023: Teams and players

Here are the teams competing in the 2023 OWL season. It’s important to note that the Philadelphia Fusion rebranded to Seoul Infernal, and Paris Eternal rebranded to Vegas Eternal ahead of the upcoming season.

On February 8, LA Valiant announced that they will compete in the West division in 2023. A month later, Dallas Fuel announced a move in the opposite direction, leaving the East region once again with seven franchise teams.

There has been a lot of uncertainty over the future of OW2 in China. Blizzard pulled the plug on all Chinese servers, impacting millions of Overwatch users. After months of failed renegotiations with local publisher NetEase, all of Blizzard’s online multiplayer games have now been taken down in China as their licensing agreement ends.

East

West

Keep up to date with all the transfer activity in the Overwatch scene with our off-season roster tracker.