The Overwatch League has planted its flag atop the esports mountain. But just like its twitchy-thumbed superstars, the premier circuit can’t afford to sit still.
Not as long as Fortnite commands the rest of the gaming universe.
The Fortnite phenomenon has put Overwatch in a strange position. The Overwatch League’s inaugural season has been a barrier-breaking achievement, but Blizzard Entertainment’s 6-on-6 first-person shooter isn’t nearly the world’s most popular video game. That would be Fortnite, a battle royale that has transcended gaming and smashed into the mainstream unlike any title in years. Overwatch executives say they aren’t nearly panicked because of one grand gamble: their deep pockets and impressive infrastructure can keep Fortnite from making a successful charge for the crown.
THE LEAGUE
A top-selling game doesn’t necessarily make an elite esport — the latter requires a professional circuit, loyal fans and a product that’s just as enjoyable to watch as to play.
The Overwatch League has set the standard for esports in its first season. Ten million fans watched its opening weekend, and 100-150 thousand tuned in for every second of the regular season. The league’s two-night championship sold out Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, and the opening night aired live on ESPN, the network’s first live broadcast of esports in prime time. The league has a fierce and sizable stable of fans, big-name investors like New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the momentum of a monumental first season.
FORMIDABLE FORTNITE
Yet video gamers are clearly more ravenous for Fortnite. The breakout title from Epic Games has 125 million global players, compared to 40 million for Overwatch. Perhaps more jarring, Google searches for “Fortnite” outpaced “Overwatch” 14-to-1 in the week leading up to the Overwatch League Grand Finals.
Esta historia es de la edición August 3, 2018 de AppleMagazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 3, 2018 de AppleMagazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
US ADVANCES REVIEW OF NEVADA LITHIUM MINE AMID CONCERNS OVER ENDANGERED WILDFLOWER
The Biden administration has taken a significant step in its expedited environmental review of what could become the third lithium mine in the U.S., amid anticipated legal challenges from conservationists over the threat they say it poses to an endangered Nevada wildflower.
TENSIONS BETWEEN BEIJING AND WASHINGTON ARE THE BIGGEST WORRY FOR US COMPANIES IN CHINA.REPORT SAYS
Simmering tensions between Beijing and Washington remain the top worry for American companies operating in China, according to a report by the American Chamber of Commerce in China released this week.
MICROSOFT & AMAZON FACE SCRUTINY FROM UK COMPETITION WATCHDOG OVER RECENT AI DEALS
British competition regulators said this week they’ll scrutinize recent artificial intelligence deals by Microsoft and Amazon over concerns that the moves could thwart competition in the AI industry.
OLYMPIC ORGANIZERS UNVEIL STRATEGY FOR USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SPORTS
Olympic organizers unveiled their strategy to use artificial intelligence in sports, joining the global rush to capitalize on the rapidly advancing technology.
THE SUMMER AFTER BARBENHEIMER AND THE STRIKES, HOLLYWOOD CHARTS A NEW COURSE
“Barbenheimer” is a hard act to follow. But as Hollywood enters another summer movie season, armed with fewer superheroes and a landscape vastly altered by the strikes, it’s worth remembering the classic William Goldman quote about what works: “Nobody knows anything.”
NETFLIX NOW HAS NEARLY 270 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS AFTER ANOTHER STRONG SHOWING TO BEGIN 2024
Netflix gained another 9.3 million subscribers to start the year while its profit soared with the help of a still-emerging expansion into advertising, but caught investors off guard with a change that will make it more difficult to track the video streaming service’s future growth.
BOEING POSTS A $355 MILLION LOSS AS THE PLANE MAKER TRIES TO DIG OUT FROM UNDER ITS LATEST CRISIS
Boeing said this week that it lost $355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WRAPPING YOUR CAR
Gaze around the next time you’re stuck in traffic and see if you’re not surprised, maybe even a little saddened, by the monochromatic sea around you.
APPLE PULLS WHATSAPP AND THREADS FROM APP STORE ON BEIJING'S ORDERS
Apple said it had removed Meta’s WhatsApp messaging app and its Threads social media app from the App Store in China to comply with orders from Chinese authorities.
WALL STREET IS LOOKING TO TESLA'S EARNINGS FOR CLUES TO MUSK'S PLAN TO RESTORE COMPANY'S WILD GROWTH
But Wall Street was unimpressed and will be looking for other answers from CEO Elon Musk when Tesla releases a report on its first-quarter finances after the U.S. stock market’s closing bell Tuesday.