The Esports Advocate has learned that a majority of teams have voted to leave the Overwatch League, though official paperwork (“a final agreement with Activision Blizzard regarding the previously announced termination of its Team Participation Agreement in the Overwatch League” – as noted in InterActive Media’s announcement this morning) has not been submitted to the league by all franchisees.
The announcement from OverActive Media was the first revealing that the Overwatch League as a franchised league was over.
According to a source at Activision Blizzard, the dissolution of the current league required two-thirds of franchisees to vote to leave and take a previously announced $6M USD payout.
A spokesperson for OverActive Media confirmed with TEA this afternoon that “the vote was held and that the league TPAs [Team Participation Agreement] have been terminated. “
An Activision Blizzard spokesperson declined to comment on specifics related to negotiations between the league and team owners this morning, again pointing us to a statement the company made earlier this year concerning the future of OWL: “With the conclusion of the 2023 Overwatch League season, we will be focusing on building our vision of a revitalized esports program. We’re eager to share more with you as details are finalized.”
Of course this is not the end of Overwatch League; reports have suggested that the league will be run by a third-party tournament operator in 2024. Activision Blizzard also declined to comment on that earlier this week, telling TEA at the time that nothing has been signed with a specific company such as ESL (rumored to be in talks with Activision Blizzard) or finalized.