Overwatch’s battle between nations is returning this year for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Overwatch World Cup will span most of the year as countries put together committees and teams to qualify for the 16-team group stage.
Countries have already started to unveil the leaders of their teams, including general managers and head coaches, and in March, the top Overwatch pros in the world will compete to earn a roster spot for their respective countries.
Teams for the World Cup will be announced in March and begin preparing for the 36-team regional qualifiers that will take place over six different regionals. The top 16 teams will advance to the World Cup round-robin group stage, which will be a LAN.
When is the 2023 Overwatch World Cup?
The group stage and eight-team finals for the World Cup will take place in the fall this year. Blizzard has not yet specified an exact date or time for either the group stage, nor the Finals.
The group stage will be comprised of the 16 countries that qualify through the six regionals taking place in June. The LAN tournament will be a round robin among the groups. More than likely, the teams will be divided into four groups of four. The top eight teams will advance to the finals.
Related: Team UK introduces Overwatch World Cup 2023 head coach and GM
It’s unclear how much time will be between the group stage and finals, or if they will be around the same weekend. The eight-team Finals will be a single-elimination bracket.
This piece will be updated when Blizzard releases more details about specific dates for the 2023 Overwatch World Cup.
