After A Three-Year Hiatus, The Overwatch League World Cup Will Return In The Summer Of 2023
Come January, Blizzard will announce the 36 countries participating in the tourney.
The Overwatch League World Cup is returning in 2023 after a three-year hiatus. The pause was due to the ongoing pandemic and Activision-Blizzard's consistent legal issues. However, after the publisher's recent announcement, you can expect it to kick off in the summer of 2023.
The revival of the Overwatch League World Cup was announced over the weekend, sitting between the FIFA World Cup and Overwatch 2 Legends Battle competition. In January, Blizzard plans to announce the 36 countries/regions participating in the global event. Additionally, the Overwatch developer will open applications for their competition committee, covering roles such as Community Lead, General Manager, and Coach to organize tryouts within their country/region.
The road to crowning the 2023 Overwatch World Cup Champion kicks off next month 🎉 And it’s gonna be a wild ride 🎢
Get the full rundown 🏆: https://t.co/eKcSF0LggD pic.twitter.com/qFFxJpB2eD
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) December 17, 2022
Besides regular tryouts in March, Blizzard will introduce a new way for players to compete in an open tournament format: World Cup Trials. Come February, the competitive event starts, and winners will gain a direct spot in the tryouts for their team.
Once the team rosters finalize in June, the Overwatch World Cup qualifiers will take place through a regional online competition, shaving down the 36 teams to 16 for the next phase. The remaining teams will duke it out in a LAN format in the fall of 2023, eventually pitting eight teams in the Finals to become champions.
Blizzard aims to reveal additional program details besides what's listed on the Overwatch website as we get closer to the Overwatch League World Cup 2023. Also, leading up to the massive event in 2023, Blizzard will offer challenges and rewards for all players in Overwatch 2 to celebrate the World Cup's return.
Check out the Overwatch website for more details!
Note: Activision Blizzard is still under investigation by the state of California for serious harassment charges. CEO Bobby Kotick is alleged to have known about such actions within his company – and performed some himself – and shielded the perpetrators from consequences.
Related Articles
About the Author

Anthony Jones is a gaming journalist and late 90s kid in love with retro games and the evolution of modern gaming. He started at Mega Visions as a news reporter covering the latest announcements, rumors, and fan-made projects. FFXIV has his heart in the MMORPGs scene, but he's always excited to analyze and lose hours to ambitious and ambiguous MMOs that gamers follow.
Read Next
Mad World Pushing Release Back According To AMA Answer, But Development Is Complete
They won’t make the December date, but the game is done.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 month agoYou May Enjoy
đź’Ł Feature | Game Design Spotlight #25: A Look At Stance Dancing In MMORPGs And Its Eventual Demise Across Mainstream Games
Streamlined gameplay experiences impact combat's most complex and high-risk aspects.
By Anthony Jones - 1 day agoNew Tencent MMO "Tarisland" Looks Like An "Extremely" Similar WoW Clone According To Fans
I can definitely see it.
By Anthony Jones - 6 days agoArcheAge Is Giving Away 10 Days Of Gifts In Celebration Of Its 10th Global Anniversary
All items must be redeemed before February 2
By Aspen Pash - 1 week agoGenshin Impact Drops Character Demo The “Little Adult” Yaoyao, And Announces Two Other Upcoming Playable Characters
Two familiar faces will join the lineup.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 week agoFatshark Announces Delay Of Warhammer 40K: Darktide Xbox Series X|S Launch While They Address Player Complaints
This probably isn’t exactly the response players were hoping for.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 2 days agoSony Faces Subpoena From Microsoft To Help Build Its Defense Against FTC Lawsuit
The court filing reveals Microsoft wants Sony to divulge details of PlayStation's game production pipeline.
By Anthony Jones - 3 days ago
Discussion (0)