No sector has been spared by the COVID-19 pandemic and it's in this difficult context that the Overwatch League schedule has had to evolve. The cancellations of all the homestands was a major organizational challenge and forced the transition of Season 3 to an online format.
For an interview with Dot Esports, Sean Miller — Senior Manager of Product Strategy and Operations at Activision Blizzard's Overwatch League — reports on the logistical issues as well as the environment in which the new online format of the Overwatch League is taking place.
The coronavirus has struck again, and Blizzard is bearing the brunt. All homestands for this 2020 season have now been cancelled, and all games will be played online. For now, the question of whether or not to play the Grand Final online remains unresolved.
Priority was given to the safety and health of those involved in the competition. The switch to the online format has raised technical and logistical issues that have never been faced before — especially concerning the organisation of intercontinental matches. It's materially impossible to play a match between an Asian and an American team without suffering high latencies and ruining the game.
This is a huge problem for the competition as it was previously organized. All the teams would normally have to compete against each other to establish a consistent standing. The match schedule is an ever-changing puzzle, reports Sean Miller, in view of the strong restrictions to be taken into consideration.
Latency, frequency of matches, number of matches played, time zones for players and viewers are so many impacting factors. Everything must be considered in real time in a complex organizational process, with the objective of satisfying the fans while keeping the priority on the integrity of the matches.
It's in this spirit that the Overwatch League ecosystem has been able to adapt. Collaborations and communication between staffs, casters, players and developers have also been strengthened. New solutions have been tested, and the May tournament is proof of this. While it doesn't exactly replace the mid-season tournament that should have been held, no doubt it'll be a great substitute.
Keeping the show running is a job that Sean Miller describes as Herculean. He appreciates this atmosphere of solidarity, which is reminiscent of the inspiring and optimistic message of Overwatch.
Original content by Jean-Vincent "Durvil" Cannata.
We're halfway through the 2020 Overwatch League season and Blizzard has just unveiled the May Tournament. All Overwatch League teams will compete against each other for a $225,000 prize pool.
