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In a bid to create more accessibility in the Overwatch League, Blizzard Entertainment has lowered the age minimum requirement for the 2023 season.
Although the start date of the 2023 Overwatch League season remains uncertain due to various delays caused by global events and terminated partnerships, efforts are being made to improve the competition.
On December 23, the free agency period is set to begin after being delayed twice. In anticipation of this event, Sean Miller, the head of the Overwatch League, revealed a new rule to promote a more competitive environment.
Miller announced on Twitter that players will now be able to join the league at the age of 17, beginning next season. This change allows players to join the league a year earlier than the previous requirement of being 18 years old, which had been in place for the first five years of OWL competition.
“As we look towards the FA window opening on Friday, we’re excited to share that our minimum age for OWL competition will be 17 starting in 2023,” Miller said.
“In a free to play world, we want to make the top level of Overwatch competition as accessible and inclusive as possible.”
With this decision, a significant number of Overwatch Contenders players will now have the opportunity to join OWL teams. In the past, many talented players missed the opportunity to be signed due to the narrow signing window and had to wait on the bench for the beginning of the season before being able to showcase their abilities. However, with this ruling, OWL teams will now have the ability to recruit more talent from the Path to Pro program than ever before.
This decision has been met with mixed reactions from the Overwatch community. Some players and fans are excited about the opportunity for younger talent to join the league and potentially make a name for themselves. Others are concerned about the maturity and readiness of players who are under the age of 19, arguing that the league should continue to have a higher age minimum.
Regardless of personal opinions, it is clear that this change will have a significant impact on the league. Younger players will now have the chance to join professional teams and potentially make a career out of playing Overwatch. This could also lead to an influx of new talent into the league, as teams may now consider players who were previously too young to be eligible.
The future is uncertain for teams as negotiations with NetEase, the publisher that enabled the publishing of Blizzard games in mainland China, broke down earlier this year. This may result in significant changes or the complete dismantling of the East region in 2023, as four of the OWL’s teams are based in China and one is run by a Chinese organization.
After December 23, if there are no further delays, fans can expect to learn more about the 2023 rosters for their favorite teams. On that date, teams will be able to officially sign free agents from the 2022 season (over 100 of them) and publicly announce their Overwatch roster decisions.
