Publicly traded esports and gaming company OverActive Media will step away from Overwatch 2 esports in 2025 and shelf the Toronto Defiant brand. The news comes via a social media post by OvertActive Media Co-Founder and CEO Adam Adamou, who offered a “heartfelt farewell” to the team and brand, describing the change as “taking a break from Overwatch in 2025.” Adamou also thanked long-time sponsors of the team TD Canada, AMD, and Canadian telecommunications company Bell.
A heartfelt farewell to @TorontoDefiant, our first team and brand.
We’ll be taking a break from Overwatch for the 2025 season.
To our incredible sponsors over the years – @Bell, @TD_Canada, @AMD – thank you for your unwavering support and belief in us.
To our players,… https://t.co/2UaXasXb28
— Adam Adamou (@Grazen) December 11, 2024
Adamou’s post was in response to a video released earlier in the week on YouTube that was supposed to reveal the future plans for the team/brand, but many in the community ended up being confused about what the message ultimately was.
Adamou admitted in another social media post that the messaging was slightly disjointed because the decision was made after the video was made. He also noted that “If we return in 2026, it won’t be under the Defiant name,” adding later that “We are officially retiring that brand.”
Toronto Defiant was launched in 2018 as an expansion team for Activision Blizzard’s discontinued, franchised esports competition Overwatch League (OWL), which was changed to the Overwatch Championship Series in 2024 and taken over by ESL FACEIT Group.
Toronto Ultra, OverActive Media’s Call of Duty League team, will continue to compete.
OverActive Media also fields teams in League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) and Valorant Champions Tour EMEA (VCT EMEA), through its ownership of European organizations MAD Lions, KOI, and Movistar Riders.