After A Three-Year Hiatus, The Overwatch League World Cup Will Return In The Summer Of 2023

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.