Overwatch Champions Series announces 2026 partner teams, an Overwatch League icon returns

A certain Texas-based franchise is returning after years away.

Perhaps the biggest loss that the Overwatch esports scene saw when the Overwatch League was shut down was the disappearance of the various branded teams. Some survived this purge, but most others didn't, which is what makes the latest news all the more exciting.

During the World Finals weekend (which Twisted Minds won), Blizzard revealed the partner teams for the 2026 Overwatch Champions Series, specifically for the organisations in North America, EMEA, and Asia. The Chinese teams will follow at a later date, as will the official format and schedule for the season, meaning we'll focus for the moment on just the confirmed organisations.

To this end, for EMEA, expect to see Twisted Minds, Virtus.pro, and Team Peps, for Asia you'll come across T1, Team Falcons, Crazy Raccoon, and Zeta Division, and for North America Team Liquid, Spacestation, Disguised, and Dallas Fuel appear. Yep, the former OWL franchise is set to return, seemingly as Envy's presence in the esport.

Beyond this, the other big change of note is that a Pre-Season Bootcamp event will be happening in South Korea in February, with this bringing the various partnered teams together for an "intense week of preparation and training for the Season," where they will get "exclusive early access to the upcoming competitive build, engage in daily scrims, and collaborate directly with fellow teams and coaches from the broader Overwatch competitive community in Korea."

We're expecting more news and information on the 2026 OWCS season soon.