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2026 Overwatch Champions Series Preview
The Overwatch League which is also known simply as OWL was introduced back in 2018, the format has changed from year to year thus far, 2018 we saw four stages in which there was a winner for each stage and then a grand final, in 2019 there were only three stages before the grand finals and in 2020 due to circumstances, there was both a North American and Asia leagues with multiple sections throughout the season.
The 2022 Overwatch League season was played on an early build of Overwatch 2; this was before the game itself was released. Due to this, the minimum roster number was reduced to five whilst the maximum remained at twelve.
2023 was the final year of the Overwatch League, with the tournament being discontinued; however, it has been replaced with the new Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS), which will now have an open qualification and tournament format.
Where can I watch the Overwatch Champions Series?
Head over to the official Overwatch Champions Series YouTube channel, where you can watch live action as well as matches from previous events and also news on the league and players. You can also get plenty of action on the Official Overwatch Champions Series on Twitch.
Where can I get Overwatch Champions Series results?
The best place to get Overwatch Champions Series schedules and results is on the Overwatch Champions Series liquipedia page.
Where can I bet on Overwatch?
Best Esports Betting Sites | Find The Top Esports UK Bookmakers
What is the Overwatch Game?
Unlike a lot of video games, Overwatch is purely a team-based game, it's a multiplayer first-person shooter which means you view the game in the first person which means you are playing as if you are controlling yourself, you will only see certain parts of your character, like arms and legs when they are in use, the game was developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment.
The games involved twelve players, six players on each team, with each of those players selecting from a list of 'Heroes', with each hero coming with a set of unique abilities.
There are several game modes in the game, but the two major ones are where the teams have to secure an area of the map, and the other is where teams have to advance payloads from one point to another.
The game was released in May 2016 on Windows, PS4 and Xbox One and was later released in October 2019 on Nintendo Switch. The game underwent general updates of maps and game modes, and in April 2020, the developers expanded the hero roster, adding eleven heroes, taking the total to 32.
The Overwatch Champions Series will use the Overwatch 2 game, in this game the number of players involved is reduced to ten in a five-on-five format, which will be made up of two damage, two supports and one tank player.
There have also been tweaks and reworks of the 'Heroes' as well as a new game mode called 'Push', which involves teams fighting to control a robot.
To understand how the game is played and to witness the fast pace, take a look at this YouTube video with some action from the 2020 Overwatch League Grand Finals
Who are the previous Overwatch Winners?
Sadly, due to missed revenue targets and declining viewing figures, the Overwatch League came to an end in 2023. Here are the teams that won during the six years of the tournament, and then the winners of the new tournament.
| Tournament | Champions | Runners-Up | Grand Final MVP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Overwatch Champions Series | Twisted Minds | Al Qadsiah | Quartz |
| 2024 Overwatch Champions Series | Team Falcons | Crazy Raccoon | Stalk3r |
| 2023 Overwatch League | Florida Mayhem | Houston Outlaws | MER1T |
| 2022 Overwatch League | Dallas Fuel | San Francisco Shock | Fearless |
| 2021 Overwatch League | Shanghai Dragons | Atlanta Reign | LIP |
| 2020 Overwatch League | San Francisco Shock | Seoul Dynasty | Kwon "Striker" Nam-joo |
| 2019 Overwatch League | San Francisco Shock | Vancouver Titans | Choi "ChoiHyoBin" Hyo-Bin |
| 2018 Overwatch League | London Spitfire | Philadelphia Fusion | Park "Profit" Joon-Yeong |
2025 Overwatch Champions Series Final Highlights
What is the 2026 Overwatch Champions Series Format?
This is how the 2025 shaped, whilst we wait for confirmation on how the 2026 tournament will go, this is the assumption that it will follow the same format.
This tournament will feature players from North America, North Africa (EMEA) and Asia who will initially compete in regional stages for places at the finals.
There will be two main events that the teams will be competing to be a part of, first of all, the Overwatch Champions Series Major.
This event will feature three teams from North America, three from EMEA and then two from Asia, with the tournament location yet to be decided.
The other will be the season-ending Overwatch Champions Series Finals, which is set to take place in Stockholm, where the Champions will be crowned.
The finals will be made up of twelve teams that finished in the positions listed below.
- China Stage 3 - Winners
- China Stage 3 - Runners-Up
- EMEA Stage 3 - Winners
- EMEA Stage 3 - Runners-Up
- EMEA Stage 3 - Third Placed
- North America Stage 3 - Winners
- North America Stage 3 - Runners-Up
- North America Stage 3 - Third Placed
- Japan vs Pacific Stage 3 - Winners
- Korea Stage 3 - Winners
- Korea Stage 3 - Runners-Up
- Korea Stage 3 - Third Placed
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Our Overwatch Champions Series Preview content is meticulously crafted by Andy, who maintains the content on this page, keeping you up-to-date with the latest information.
Andy Powell
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