Overwatch League is the program being implemented by Blizzard to rival professional sports organizations such as the NFL or NBA. As with most major league sports, a "minor league" system is put into place for up-and-coming players. Blizzard has just announced Overwatch Contenders, a "development league for aspiring Overwatch League professionals".
Contenders will begin this summer in North America and Europe. Teams will be able to sign up for Season Zero Open Qualifying matches, each tournament with a $50,000 prize pool, to determine the top eight teams in each region.
In North America, Season Zero’s top six teams will be joined by APEX participants Envy and Rogue for six weeks of round-robin play in Overwatch Contenders Season One. The top four teams will advance to an offline playoff bracket, where they will fight for their share of USD $100,000. Across the Atlantic, the top eight European teams from Overwatch Contenders Season Zero will also play in a six-week regular season for Season One. The four teams that rise to the top will be playing for a slice of a USD $100,000 prize pool in their own offline playoff bracket.
You can read more of the details about the tournament series by visiting the Overwatch site.
Via Kotaku
