Blizzard revealed the salaries that gamers will earn from playing in the Overwatch League, which will use the same structure as professional sports leagues.
If you have been looking for a reason to try to take your Overwatch skills to the next level, the salary and benefits waiting for Overwatch League players should be good enough.
Overwatch League Salary, Benefits For Players
With the inaugural season of the Overwatch League ready to launch, Blizzard said that there are over 30 million Overwatch players that are eligible to join one of the league's teams. All these players will be considered as free agents, with players not to be prevented from joining an Overwatch League team due to a previous affiliation with another team.
Blizzard will open the official player signing window for Season 1 of the Overwatch League from Aug. 1 to Oct. 30, and has rolled out the benefits that Overwatch League players can expect.
All players will receive a minimum salary of $50,000 per year, formalized through one-year guaranteed contracts that can be extended for an additional year. Overwatch League teams will also be required to provide their players with a health insurance and a retirement savings plan.
The teams will also be required to distribute at least half of their performance bonuses, such as money earned from winning Overwatch League events, directly to its players.
The total amount of bonuses that Overwatch League teams can acquire in Season 1 is $3.5 million, with at least $1 million to be awarded to the league's inaugural champion.
What Is The Overwatch League?
The Overwatch League, which was embroiled in controversy in May due to a reported franchise fee of $20 million, will have teams that are based in cities, similar to the NBA and NFL. The first seven Overwatch League teams were revealed this month, including a Boston team owned by New England Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and a New York team owned by New York Mets COO Jeff Wilpon.
The Overwatch League will also have teams based in Los Angeles, Miami-Orlando, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Seoul.
The teams will have between six to 12 players each, with no restriction on the place of birth or home country of signed players. The teams will also provide housing and practice facilities to the players over the course of the season.
With a structure familiar to the public, the Overwatch League might make it much easier for eSports to enter the mainstream. Locals will also be able to cheer for their home teams as they face off against other teams over the season.
There is currently no start date yet for the Overwatch League, but it is expected to start later this year. In the meantime, players who are thinking of trying out for one of the teams should prepare for a meta with Doomfist, who is now arriving to the main game.
