Younger players looking to sharpen their skills and train up for professional eSports may have just gotten a new path to the top thanks to a brand newOverwatchRec League. While major league events have recently beenshut down due to coronavirus, this new rec league is looking to start up as early as this next fall.
Working in tandem with PlayVS, an organization dedicated to helping set up esports leagues for high school and college teams, Blizzard has addedOverwatchto the list of associated games. PlayVS already works with massive titles likeLeague of Legends' esports scene, as well as more games popular with younger demographics likeFornite.
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Considering how many players that currently compete in the officialOverwatchLeague began in collegiate eSports leagues, letting younger players jump in from high school will be a great way to help players hone their skills, early on. Additionally, as players retire from the pro scene or move ontoother esports titles likeValorant, there are often new openings popping up in pro teams, as well as new pro teams being formed every day. However, while this may be a straightforward path for some young players, the number of players who may go on to become pros will likely only be a small selection of the overall league, as is often the case with other high school and collegiate sports.
So, while the new path laid out by Blizzard and PlayVS will clearly be enticing to young players to thehighly rewardingOverwatchLeague, players should be aware that this is not a guarantee to the pro lifestyle. Instead, this is a great way for players to learn important teamwork, problem-solving, and risk management skills that can be applied in a number of circumstances that go far beyond the realm of gaming. To this degree, while there is no guarantee that a high school esports league will lead to future esports success, it could instead lead to different successes down the road, due to these honed skills.
Overwatchis available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
