After months of waiting, Blizzard Entertainment has announced a slew of information and details about the 2023 Overwatch League season. Coming as part of a blowout of info, we're told about when the season will start, the events that are planned, and also how the divisions will be framed considering the ongoing situation with Blizzard games in China.
The 2023 season will kick off on March 23 with a Pro-Am tournament that will span three weeks. This will give Contenders teams an opportunity to join the West region of the Overwatch League in a 20-team field tournament. The winner of this event will net $100,000.
Next up will be the Spring Stage, where West teams will be competing as usual for seeding in the first Major of the year, whereas the East division will be using more of a Pro-Am format, where Contenders and Open Division rosters will be given a chance to earn slots in the Spring Stage Knockouts and potentially even the Midseason Madness.
As for the Midseason Madness Major, this is planned for June and will see four teams from the West and two from the East competing in a live, double-elimination format bracket. Further details about this will arrive in the future.
After Midseason Madness comes the Summer Stage, which will mirror the Spring Stage format, and will lead up to the Summer Stage Qualifiers, all ahead of the Play-Ins and Playoffs planned for September and October.
While it doesn't seem to be a very long season, it will hopefully encourage broader competition as Contenders and Open Division teams join the fray in places. Check out the full schedule below.