Blizzard is working hard to expand the eSports sector for Overwatch . To this end, the company has entered into a new partnership – prompting the Korean eSports broadcaster OGN to end its established Overwatch APEX tournament.
Since Blizzard aims to establish the online shooter in eSports with the Overwatch League and the Contenders, third-party organizers have been increasingly struggling. To plan more events, Blizzard is now forming partnerships with additional broadcasters. This was reason enough for OGN to cancel the fifth season of Overwatch APEX.
What is the Overwatch APEX?
The Overwatch APEX tournament in South Korea is one of the most famous Overwatch tournaments in the world. With nearly 180,000 dollars in prize money, the APEX tournament is also one of the highest-paying tournaments. Accordingly, it is popular among players and viewers. As it is a Major League tournament, only top-tier teams compete in the APEX – including well-known names such as Lunatic-Hai, Team EnVyUs, and Cloud9.
The APEX was open to teams from around the world until July last year. Since the fourth season, it has been reserved exclusively for Korean teams. However, for fans and eSports enthusiasts, this was no reason to lose joy in the tournament.
Blizzard forms new partnership with the competition – OGN cancels Season 5
In its efforts to establish Overwatch in eSports, Blizzard is preparing another competition with an as-yet-unknown broadcaster. It is speculated that the “still unknown broadcaster” could be OGN’s competitor MBC.
After OGN received news that Blizzard was collaborating with a competitor, they canceled the fifth season of their tournament.
In the announcement, it states that preparations for Season 5 had been in full swing when they received the message. To not stand in Blizzard’s way, OGN will cease work on the tournament. The broadcaster apologizes to all fans and supporters of the APEX for the end of this journey.
The end of the OGN Overwatch APEX is the beginning of a new path
Despite the news and the end of the APEX, OGN still values Blizzard as a partner. OGN will continue to collaborate with the game studio and maintain a good relationship to provide more content for the eSports scene.
