The Overwatch Contenders 2020 season is a massive overhaul compared to the previous seasons. Back in November, Blizzard announced they would be revamping the Overwatch Contenders ecosystem for the 2020 competitive season. The season features bigger prize pools and a plethora of promotion/relegation opportunities for teams all across the globe.
Furthermore, all the established Contenders regions will additionally be divided into two divisions (Atlantic and Pacific) similar to how the OWL is divided.
Overwatch Contenders betting sites:
Tournament Format
The Overwatch Contenders 2020 season will be divided into two segments. Each of these two will consist of Four Contenders Trials tournaments and Four Contenders tournaments. After all of the eight events are complete Playoffs will commence. The Gauntlet and Showdown events are still on the Calendar but no info has been disclosed yet.
There is a new point system introduced to accompany the new format:
- 1st – 100 points
- 2nd – 50 points
- 3rd – 4th – 35 points
- 5th – 8th – 20 points
- 9th – 12th – 10 points
Based on their performance, the Overwatch Contenders teams will be seeded for the postseason and accompanying events.
Seeding Tournaments
Seeding tournaments were played back in January across all seven Contenders regions. The goal of these tournaments was to set the initial teams attending Week 1 of Contenders and Trials. The tournaments were played between 6-26th of January. A double-elimination tournament featuring 16 teams give us the first four Contenders teams from North America & Europe as well as eight teams that were relegated to Contenders Trials.
The North American region became whole once more as NA West and NA East were finally reunited for Overwatch Contenders 2020. With XL Academy and Gladiators Legion dropping their rosters it came down to Skyfoxes, Team Envy, ATL Academy and Second Wind who retained their Contenders Spots.
Europe’s Contenders remainders are British Hurricane, HSL Esports, Samsung Morning Stars and Young & Beautiful. Eternal Academy also earned a spot after going through Trials.
The Chinese seeding tournament was dominated by Team CC and Bilibili Gaming. Flag Gaming and Big Time Regal Gaming also earned a spot. The rest of the Chinese Contenders teams are still pending the completion of Trials due to the 2020 Coronavirus outbreak. The Chinese Contenders scene as a whole might be put under question due to the epidemic.
Similarly, South Korea finished their Seeding and Open Divison matches earlier this year but await the conclusion of Trials due to Coronavirus. The usual Korean powerhouse teams of RunAway, O2 Blast, Gen.G, and Element Mystic earned their spot in the Contenders Season.
Other minor regions have already begun their Contenders runs. We can expect some previous Academy/Contenders and Open Division teams to make it into the league through Trials, as well as freshly created squads that will make their debut in the Overwatch Contenders 2020 Season.
Overwatch Contenders Schedule
Blizzard Entertainment released the Overwatch Contenders 2020 schedule and the broadcast schedule for the month of March.
Overwatch Contenders Betting
There are several important factors to keep in mind when considering Overwatch Contenders bets. First up, the league has undergone severe changes to Structure which means a lot of teams might end up on the chopping block quickly. This would also mean a lot of new teams might advance to Contenders through Trials or Open Davison. For those seeking to maximize earnings on Overwatch Contenders betting, it is now essential to also keep track of Open Division and Contenders Trials.
Additionally, not all Overwatch Betting Providers will feature Contenders and the other leagues in their betting markets. Choosing your bookmaker carefully is essential. Thirdly, odds may vary wildly between matches and you might get tricked into placing bad bets more often. To this end, always keep track of the latest Overwatch news and announcements to make informed decisions.
Finally, stick to what works. Several teams have a proven track record in the Overwatch Contenders scene. British Hurricane in Europe, RunAway and Element Mystic in South Korea and Teams Envy and ATL Academy in North America have all proven they are serious about their Contenders’ performance. These teams should always be your top picks when placing Overwatch Contenders bets.
Changes and Consequences
Residency restrictions have been lifted all across the board except for China. This should mean teams will start picking up rosters from all over the place in order to stay competitive in the Contenders scene. Academy teams were also four two-way spots on their rosters (up from two) for the upcoming season. With the changes to the restriction policy and the changes to the system, we are starting to notice a lot of Academy rosters being completely disbanded leading up to next season. We are yet to see how the changes will impact the competitive landscape. With no information given on how Academy teams’ qualifications will play into the new Contenders format, we are yet to see if the Academy teams will survive and the organizations continue supporting them.
We will keep this article updated as more information about the Overwatch Contenders regularly. Until then follow @OWPathToPro for the latest updates.
