One of the biggest titles in gaming right now is none other than Overwatch. Beyond the scores of people who play the game in the comfort of their own homes, there are those take on the higher edge of the game and compete for pride and prize.
(Photo by Robby Shuttleworth)
The Group Stage in Santa Monica, California brought teams such as the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, Chinese Taipei, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, and Israel. How did these teams get here and just how were they selected to play one another? Check out the view explanation below!
(Photo by Robby Shuttleworth)
Beyond the action on the stage throughout the weekend, the hangar was decked out in all Overwatch. Cosplayers wandered the floor, showing off their creativity in their costumes and getting a few photos with fans, while some of the cosplayers even found their way onto the live broadcast in between the matches.
There was a section in the back of the hangar to get your hands on sweet, sweet Overwatch merch that was busy almost the entire weekend, where fans could get some of the Blizzard exclusives they may not have been able to get elsewhere. Set off to the side of the hangar sat the team autograph table, where winning teams would come out and sign autographs for the fans in attendance. Teams such as the United States, Germany, Chinese Taipei, and the United Kingdom all took their turns hanging
out and meeting their supporters.
(Photo by Robby Shuttleworth)
As in any sport, the crowd makes all the difference when it comes to cheering during each match. One aspect of cheering is the fine art of poster making. Fans in attendance could make their own poster to show off their Overwatch pride (if it met certain qualifications because of the live cameras) and help them in their wild cheering. Here’s just one sample of how creative fans and staff were getting with their poster making.
Friday and Saturday of the Overwatch World Cup displayed strong matches and displays of teamwork from all the teams involved, but each win turned to be decisive enough to help move teams into the top spots in each group involved, Group G and Group H. From Group G, the United States and Chinese Taipei took the distinctive lead, while UK and Germany took the lead from Group H. As of the end of Saturday, these four teams had already secured their way into Sunday’s playoffs, it was just a matter of which team would face off against one another.
Sunday presented the longest day of the tournament, beginning at 10 am with the first match of the day, going all the way until almost 6:30 pm due to the final two playoff matches, which sent the United States and the United Kingdom to the Overwatch World Cup Finals at BlizzCon. Those two teams will head to BlizzCon in November to face off against the likes of China, Sweden, Australia, France, Canada, and the reigning World Cup Champions, South Korea.
(Blizzard Entertainment)
The top 8 teams now have to wait to see who they will be facing off against once November rolls around for BlizzCon 2017. The favored team to take it all is once again South Korea, but you never know in a competition such as this. There will be big plays, a huge upset or two, and guaranteed action and gameplay for all Overwatch fans to enjoy.
