Sources: OWL teams unaware of outsourcing plans & have no access to Overwatch 2 beta

Overwatch League (OWL) teams were in the dark about Activision Blizzard’s reported plans to outsource the competition and still have not been provided access to the Overwatch 2 beta, multiple sources have told Dexerto.

On January 27, The Esports Observer reported that Activision Blizzard was expected to hand over the operations for its Overwatch League to a third party in the same way that it had partnered with Esports Engine to help run the 2022 season of the Call of Duty League.

Multiple sources have told Dexerto that teams were unaware of Activision Blizzard’s intention and that the developer still has not given any indication as to whether the outsourcing plans will go ahead.

Meanwhile, sources have also said that the Overwatch League teams still do not have access to the Overwatch 2 beta. They have had to make do with a custom training program, similar to the workshop game mode developed by the Paris Eternal team during the offseason, to scrim and prepare for the league’s new 5v5 set-up and announced hero changes.

The Overwatch League’s teams have been told that they will be expected to play 24 games during the 2022 regular season instead of just 16, sources have said.

• Read more: Content creator says OW2 news could be coming very soon

On September 3, then Overwatch League Head Jon Spector revealed that the 2022 season would start in April on an early build of Overwatch 2. Numerous previews of the game have been released to the public but a release date has not been announced, with more details expected ahead of the start of the league.

The Overwatch League did not immediately respond to requests for comment.