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Season One of Overwatch Contenders has found a new home, and this arena will also host the first season of the Overwatch League. Blizzard Entertainment unveiled the Blizzard Arena today, located in Burbank Studios. While the founding members of the Overwatch League prepare their own infrastructure and “home bases”, the first season of games will play out at the Blizzard Arena. Audiences can also expect Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm matches to play out on this new stage.
Blizzard’s vision for the Overwatch League involves in-person involvement, turning esports from something best enjoyed from a viewer’s desk at home to a physical, community based event. The Blizzard Arena will be a massive step forward in achieving that vision.
The first event to grace this stage will be the Overwatch Contenders Season One playoffs, starting on October 7th.
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Tickets are now available for Overwatch Contenders Season One, where North America’s finest will move onto the next round of competition. Seats are priced at a reasonable $15-25 USD.
The Overwatch League is currently set to begin after Overwatch Contenders Season One, before the start of 2018.
Below is Blizzard’s press release, which has been edited to highlight Overwatch specific content. The full press release can be found at Blizzard’s press center.
IRVINE, Calif.—September 7, 2017—World-class esports have a new home in the entertainment capital of the world. Blizzard Entertainment today unveiled Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, a cutting-edge live-event destination for pro players, esports fans, and everyone else who loves premier competition. Situated in the legendary Burbank Studios, once home to groundbreaking television shows, the studio at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles has been custom-tailored to support an exciting live-event experience for local attendees and broadcast audiences around the world. When the Arena opens for business on October 7, top competitors from across Blizzard esports will be the newest stars to shine on one of the most celebrated stages in television history.
“We’re at a tipping point for esports and we look forward to helping usher in a new era of competition-based entertainment,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “As we open the doors of Blizzard Arena Los Angeles and welcome fans from around the world, we’re honored to bring the best in Blizzard esports to the same stage that some of the biggest names in entertainment have called home.”
With multiple sound stages, control rooms, and practice facilities, Blizzard Arena Los Angeles was built to support a full slate of competitive events year-round. In addition, the Burbank, California arena will house a Blizzard retail store that rotates stock for event attendees based on the competitions taking place at the time.
Blizzard Arena Los Angeles will open its doors to the public for the first time on the weekend of October 7–8 with the Overwatch Contenders Season One Playoffs taking center stage. The culmination of a summer of formidable European and North American competition, the Overwatch Contenders Playoffs will crown the top Contenders teams in each region.
Then, later this year, some of the top Overwatch® players in the world will take their first steps toward stardom at the Arena when the Overwatch League opens a new era in professional esports. With the players leading the way, the city-based franchises of the Overwatch League have their sights set on establishing a new standard for esports excellence.