One Overwatch League team signals desire to stay for 2024 Season despite exit payouts

An Overwatch League team, Toronto Defiant, is signaling a desire to stick around for the 2024 Season despite exit payouts being offered by Blizzard.

On July 19, Activision Blizzard revealed that it is offering payouts for OWL teams that decide to opt out of a new operating agreement at the end of the current season. Should teams opt out, they’d receive a $6 million sum.

This news came after OverActive Media (OAM), the parent company of Toronto Defiant, negotiated a deal between OWL teams and Blizzard to waive all outstanding fees teams still owed from paying to enter the league in the first place. The deal was valued by OAM at approximately $10.8 million CAD. 

And it now seems that OAM is still eager to remain in the scene as in a recent quarterly earning call they expressed a desire to keep competing in the 2024 season, whatever it looks like.

Toronto Defiant expresses desire to stay in Overwatch League despite payouts

Adam Adamou, co-founder of OAM said of Overwatch League and their continued involvement, “We believe in Overwatch and in the Overwatch esports ecosystem.

“We hope and expect that this will present new opportunities and secure a bright future for our teams, players, partners, and fans. We expect to be a key force in competitive Overwatch in 2024 and beyond.” 

Adamou also said of the exit payouts brought forward by Blizzard, “Activision Blizzard has since disclosed additional information relating to these go-forward plans, announcing a structure that may see a $7.9 million payment to participating teams, including OverActive. We expect to see this payment’s impact in the fourth quarter.” 

OAM is set to host the Playoffs and Grand Finals for OWL this September to October, additionally, they also have a team in the Call of Duty League, Toronto Ultra. 

This news comes as speculation about which current OWL teams are planning on leaving the scene. With Chengdu Hunter’s departure early into the 2023 season and claims from the Guangzhou Charge’s camp that the org is eyeing the payout.