Next Generation Esports have announced the Overwatch Winter Premiere, a tournament with a $100,000 (~£80,000) prize pool. The event will take place through December 2016 and finish at the end of January 2017.
The event will first follow an Open Play format, with anyone being able to enter and eight teams qualifying for the Group Stage of the event.
The Group Stage will again be played online, and eventually the eight teams will become four. The four remaining teams will compete in the live finals towards the end of January. As of yet, no venue has been announced for the event.
NGE will be responsible for the live streaming of the Group Stages, from their studio in Burbank, California.
Andy Vander Woude, CEO and co-founder of Next Generation Esports said: “NGE’s philosophy is to find the most ambitious esports partners and work with them to elevate their shows. That’s why we’re thrilled to work with Blizzard to create an esports experience perfectly matched to Overwatch fans”.
Esports Insider says: Next Generation Esports obviously have big ideas for the tournament. By Overwatch prize money, it’s a relatively substantial tournament and is yet again another mark on a rapidly growing esports scene. It’ll be interesting to see how the production goes from NGE, who are clearly showing early ambition by entering the space with Blizzard on board.
