Overwatch Esports News

The Esports World Cup Foundation announced today the launch of Road to EWC, a global campaign centered on the player and Club journeys. “The global initiative will spotlight the diverse paths players take to qualify for the EWC, celebrating the passion, rivalries, and competitive spirit that connect global audiences to the world’s largest esports event.” Building Up to the Esports World Cup Set to run from May until August, Road to EWC will be more, well, a road through. With the Esports World Cup 2025 kicking off on July 7th and running until August 28th, the campaign will document themore

The Esports World Cup Foundation has announced the creation of a new initiative which will see music play a larger role at the upcoming Esports World Cup 2025 (EWC). The 'Music of EWC' program will feature original tracks from some of the most legendary studios and producers on the globe, as well as an open competition with amazing opportunities. Music of EWC: On the shoulders of giants The new initiative will be spearheaded by some of the leading figures inmore

Hero Bans have finally arrived in Overwatch 2 with Season 16, fundamentally changing how competitive play functions. This long-requested feature gives players strategic agency before matches even begin, allowing teams to remove problematic heroes from play. Whether you're a competitive veteran or new to the ranked scene, understanding this system is crucial for maximizing your chances of victory. Understanding the Hero Bans The Hero Ban system implemented in Season 16 allows players to vote on which heroes should be excludedmore

Overwatch Stadium Mode arrived on April 22nd, completely transforming the traditional gameplay experience with its round-based structure, hero upgrades, and strategy. Unlike anything we've seen before in Overwatch, Stadium introduces a MOBA-inspired progression system that allows players to customize their heroes with unique powers and items throughout a match. This comprehensive guide will break down everything you need to know to dominate in Stadium, from optimal hero builds to strategic approaches that will help you climb through the ranks. Whatmore

With the launch of the Overwatch Championship Series (OWCS) in 2025, Blizzard has officially confirmed that the nine OWCS Partner Teams will be receiving exclusive in-game cosmetics as part of the new initiative. These team-branded skins will debut during the OWCS 2025 Midseason Championship, which will be held as part of the Esports World Cup 2025, taking place from July to August. Blizzard’s partnership program includes a mix of powerhouse organizations across three major regions: EMEA: Gen.G Twisted Minds Virtus.Promore

The Esports World Cup Foundation has officially unveiled the complete schedule for the highly anticipated Esports World Cup 2025. The tournament is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from July 7 to August 24, 2025. This year's event promises to be the largest esports tournament yet, featuring a record-breaking $70 million prize pool, 25 tournaments across 24 games, and more than 2,000 players from over 200 clubs competing on the world stage. Tournament Schedule The seven-week competition hasmore

Blizzard is starting Season 16 of Overwatch 2 with a bang, confirming a highly anticipated collaboration with the iconic Gundam Wing anime series. Teased just days ago through the official Overwatch X account, the crossover is set to bring new skins, themed cosmetics, and potentially a surge of nostalgic excitement to both longtime Gundam fans and Overwatch players alike. What’s in the Collaboration? While Blizzard hasn't fully revealed the content lineup, we know for certain that Mercy will be receivingmore

Blizzard is leveling up the battlefield once again with a bold new game mode coming to Overwatch 2—Stadium. Launching April 22 with the arrival of Season 16, Stadium promises to be a high-octane, multi-round showdown where skill, strategy, and on-the-fly decision-making determine the victor. With a new perspective, Hero customization, and a competitive format unlike anything the game has seen before, Stadium could mark the next major evolution in Overwatch 2. What is Stadium? At its core, Stadium is amore

Overwatch – first released in 2016, it surged through the community like a tidal wave, swiftly becoming the face of hero shooters. In 2023, Overwatch 2 replaced its predecessor, bringing with it its own characteristics and controversies. Today, the game(s) is a shadow of its former glory, but it continues to thrive, with a vibrant community and passionate fanbase that continues to hone their skills 10 years on from its release. Curious to hear more? Here’s everything on Overwatch 2 and how it works. Article updated as of 15/05/2025. What is Overwatch 2? Overwatch 2 is the sequel to Overwatchmore

Blizzard has rolled out a new hotfix balance update for Overwatch 2 on March 25, affecting multiple heroes across the tank, damage, and support roles. This patch fine-tunes the competitive landscape, making adjustments to powerful abilities while improving underperforming ones. Replay codes from the March 18, 2025 patch remain available, and these balance changes apply to both 5v5 and 6v6 game modes. Let's dive into the details. Tank Updates Mauga Mauga sees nerfs to his survivability and team utility. Cardiacmore

Earlier today, on March 10th, the Esports World Cup Foundation announced a multi-year partnership with Capcom. This collaboration integrates the Street Fighter esports ecosystem with the EWC. The announcement follows the return of Street Fighter to the 2025 edition of the mega esports festival in Riyadh. Street Fighter 6 and the Esports World Cup In 2024, Street Fighter 6 became the first fighting game to join the Esports World Cup. What followed was a 32-player tournament featuring competitors from aroundmore

Orisa is a tank hero in Overwatch 2, notable for her massive gatling gun and immovability on objectives. She was released on the 21st of March 2017 in Overwatch and despite receiving massive changes coming into Overwatch 2, she still remains one of the stronger tanks to play in Overwatch 2. Orisa Backstory Orisa was originally an OR15 unit, one of the many designed and employed to defend Numbani. However, the unit that would come to be known as Orisamore

The Esports World Cup 2024, hailed as the largest esports event in history, is facing serious allegations regarding unpaid prize money, salaries, and service fees for players, production staff, and on-screen talent. According to Esports.net, multiple anonymous sources have come forward to claim that payments remain outstanding nearly six months after the event concluded. However, readers should note that we at Strafe Esports have not yet been able to verify these sources and claims.  Delayed Payments Across Multiple Games Themore

Overwatch 2’s newest hero – Freja – is set to enter the fray as the 43rd hero on the roster. Freja is a Danish bounty hunter, formerly of Overwatch, and is promised to be one of the most mechanically challenging heroes on the roster to pilot. Freja was originally revealed as part of the massive Spotlight update that promises sweeping changes for Season 15 and beyond. Check out our more comprehensive cover here. Wielding a crossbow and flaunting high mobility,more

The Overwatch 2 Spotlight event, hosted by Game Director Aaron Keller and the development team, has revealed exciting new features coming to the game in 2025. With over 100 million players, Overwatch 2 is bringing major changes that aim to reshape how the game is played to captivate current fans and expand their player base. Here's a look at the key announcements: Perks: A game-changing addition The most significant innovation announced in the Overwatch 2 Spotlight is the introduction ofmore

Love is in the air, and so is Hanzo’s Scatter Arrow! The Overwatch 2 Valentine’s Day event 2025 has officially begun, bringing the Love of Geometry game mode, festive challenges, and a chance to earn exclusive in-game rewards. Here’s everything you need to know about this limited-time event, including how to participate, what rewards to expect, and how to master the returning Cupid Hanzo mode! When Does the Overwatch 2 Valentine’s Day Event End? The Overwatch 2 Valentine’s Day eventmore

Blizzard has announced a significant change to Overwatch 2’s Competitive Play for Season 15, as the Clash game mode will be removed from ranked matchmaking. This decision comes after months of community feedback pointing out balance issues and frustrations with the mode. While Clash will still be available in Quick Play, Blizzard aims to improve its experience before reintroducing it to competitive play. Clash Mode Faces Removal from Competitive Play Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller confirmed in the latestmore

The highly anticipated Olympic Esports Games 2025 have been officially postponed. Originally scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia, the event is now expected to be held in 2026 or 2027. According to reports from SportsBusiness, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) needs more time to finalize crucial aspects such as the hosting model, financial structure, qualification process, game titles, and event dates. Why Was the Olympic Esports Games 2025 Delayed? The decision to delay the first-ever Olympic Esports Games wasmore

BLIZZARD has rolled out the January 21, 2025, Overwatch 2 patch, packed with seasonal events, gameplay experiments, hero updates, and bug fixes. Here’s everything you need to know about the latest changes. Gameplay Updates Year of the Snake Seasonal Event Celebrate the Lunar New Year with the Year of the Snake event! Returning game modes, including Mischief & Magic, Bounty Hunter, and Capture the Flag. Complete event-specific challenges to earn exclusive rewards like vibrant Lunar New Year-themed cosmetics. Valentine’s Daymore

Back in December 2024, Overwatch Champions Series 2025 was introduced as an revamp for the existing esports system. Among other announcements were the introductions of partner teams for OWCS. These partner teams are to receive monetary benefits via in-game items. Multiple organizations were invited to apply to the partnership program, with the applications closing 2nd December. Today, Overwatch announced the nine partner teams across three regions. These organizations are: EMEA Gen.G Twisted Minds Virtus.Pro North America Spacestation Team Liquid Asiamore