Overwatch World Cup Happening in Different Phases to Culminate at Blizzcon 2016

Blizzard's Overwatch is undoubtedly a success, given that it has been the studio's first original IP in almost two decades following

While fans are enjoying the current new seasonal event for the Summer Games, Blizzard has just announced that it will be holding an Overwatch World Cup.

"The Overwatch World Cup will be an international exhibition pitting teams from multiple nations and regions against one another in a battle for global glory. The celebration begins with communities around the world voting for which players they'd like to see represent their country. Teams will then compete in a series of exhibition matches online and, ultimately, on the BlizzCon 2016 stage!"

Announced over the Overwatch website, the studio has divided the Overwatch World cup into two phases.

Blizzard will be nominating different representatives from participating countries—from pro players to local players who have gone up the ranks in the Season 1 of Competitive Play.

Nominations will be based on a variety of factors, among which are skill, in-game performance, community standing, and more. For now, there are only limited countries included in the list that can join the qualifiers, though Blizzard has hinted that more may come in future events.

Then from Aug. 11, different members of the countries involved can vote for the nominees that they would want to represent their country's roster. To do this, even those who are planning to vote will need a licensed copy of Overwatch and a Battle.net for the country you'll be voting for.

Once players are selected, teams will have to go through a best-of-three elimination qualifiers starting September. Blizzcon in November will see 16 teams battle out in round-robin group stages and eliminations.

All in all, the 16 teams competing at the November event will be divided into the following: six from Europe, six from the Asia Pacific regions, and four from the Americas.

A detailed breakdown of the rules for Overwatch World Cup is yet to be released. However, aspiring players must note that there is currently no prize pool for the exhibition. If they do get into the 16 team that will be competing at the BlizzCon event, Blizzard did confirm that they will receive an appearance bonus and a free trip to BlizzCon.

Overwatch has been one of the new successful games to date. And it seems that the title's step into the multiplayer field is a good one, since Blizzard has been bent on ensuring that cheaters are appropriately punished for using hacks and tools to illegally advance in the game.

Stay tuned for more announcements as the Overwatch World Cup phase one begins.

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