The Final Overwatch League Season Two Expansion Teams Have Been Reported
Robert Paul for Blizzard EntertainmentThe final two spots in Season Two of the Overwatch League have reportedly been sold.
According to a report by ESPN, the final expansion spots in the Overwatch League for the upcoming season will be based in Chengdu, China, and Vancouver, Canada.
Chinese streaming platform Huya will own the Chengdu franchise, while the Vancouver spot will reportedly be owned by Aquilini Investment Group, owner of Canucks Sports & Entertainment, which is the parent group of the Rogers Arena and the Vancouver Canucks. The Rogers Arena recently played host to DotA 2’s The International 8, the first esports event to be held there.
These two teams would bring the total number of teams for Season Two of the Overwatch League up to twenty, Blizzard’s goal according to a previous ESPN report. The same report revealed that teams based in Hangzhou, China and Washington, D.C. had also been sold.
These would join teams based in Atlanta (Georgia, USA) Guangzhou (China), Toronto (Canada), and Paris (France) as expansion teams for Season Two, a total of eight new additions to the League. So far, only the Atlanta and Guangzhou franchises have been officially announced.
Spots in the League for Season Two have reportedly been sold for $30-60 million, depending on several factors including the Overwatch player-base and general population in each location. After a successful debut season the buy-in is a significant increase from the reported $20 million price-tag for spots in Season One.
The new franchises will be able to start building their rosters from September 9, when an exclusive free agent signing window opens for expansion teams. From October 8, all Overwatch League teams will be able to sign free agents, and all teams will need to have a minimum eight-man roster by December 8.