MLG Vegas will run on YouTube and MLG.tv, not Twitch

Major League Gaming’s Overwatch Invitational begins today. But if you’re looking for it on Twitch, you won’t find it. A global partnership deal with YouTube will give the site streaming rights for all live match broadcasts, as well as news and analysis coming out of the event. MLG will also broadcast MLG Vegas on its on website through MLG.tv. Sources close to Twitch have reportedly confirmed to WWG that the site will not act as a streaming partner for the Las Vegas event—and this isn’t necessarily surprising. Blizzard titles have always had a place on Twitch, but Activision Blizzard, which owns MLG, has often looked elsewhere to broadcast its content. Earlier this year, Blizzard enabled Facebook livestreaming of its games straight from the Battle.net launcher. The service allows users to stream their games live to Facebook with just one click—a feature that many would love to be implemented for Twitch, too. The Overwatch Invitational kicks off today at 3pm PT with Fnatic versus Rise Nation. FaZe Clan versus Team Liquid begins at 4:30pm, with NRG Esports versus Cloud9 at 6pm. CompLexity Gaming versus Team EnVyUs ends the night at 7:30pm. The action begins again Saturday at 12pm. Semifinals and finals take place Sunday, starting at 11am. The full schedule is available on the MLG website. The map pool for MLG’s Overwatch Invitational has been preset. There is no map drafting process planned for the event. Professional Overwatch players have been critical regarding the preset maps, given the sheer number of maps they’ll have to practice for the event. MLG has stood firm on the map pool, with Blizzard backing the decision. We’ll see how it turns out when MLG Vegas’ Overwatch International begins on Dec. 16.