Overwatch Champions Series
Overwatch Champions Series Tips & Streams
Released in 2023, Overwatch 2 is the sequel of Activision Blizzard’s first hero shooter, Overwatch, which quickly rose up in the esports world to become one of the most-watched pro games.
Initially, Overwatch 2 continued where its predecessor left off, with the Overwatch League, before its closure in 2023 and replacement by the Overwatch Champions Series.
Organised and operated by ESL FACEIT Group, the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) is now the top tier of competitive Overwatch, divided into four regions and watched all over the world.
Not only has the Overwatch Champions Series challenged other FPS competitions in the Halo Championship Series (HCS) and Call of Duty’s CoD League (CDL) regarding viewership, but it has also become a huge hit among esports punters.
Nowadays, esports fans can find OWCS markets on all prominent bookmakers, including all top crypto betting sites, such as Stake, ensuring Overwatch fans do not have to look far to place bets on their favourite teams.
What is Overwatch Champions Series?
Overwatch Champions Series is the successor of the Overwatch League, which ceased to exist after the 2023 esports season, making room for the formation of the OWCS, now organised by ESL FACEIT Group.
The new international Overwatch 2 circuit now spans over four regions – Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa (EMEA), North America (NA), China, and Asia.
Each region hosts its own leagues (Stages), which feed into international tournaments, including the season-ending OWCS World Finals.
Overwatch Champions Series 2025 Schedule
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| OWCS 2025 NA Stage 1 | January 31 – March 9 |
| OWCS 2025 EMEA Stage 1 | January 31 – March 9 |
| OWCS 2025 Asia Stage 1 | March 6-16 |
| OWCS 2025 China Stage 1 | March 27 – April 6 |
| OWCS 2025 Champions Clash | April 18-20 |
| OWCS 2025 Korea Stage 2 | May 9 - June 22 |
| OWCS 2025 NA Stage 2 | May 10 – June 29 |
| OWCS 2025 EMEA Stage 2 | May 10 – June 29 |
| OWCS 2025 Japan Stage 2 | May 12 - June 22 |
| OWCS 2025 Pacific Stage 2 | May 15 - June 19 |
| OWCS 2025 Midseason Championship | July 31 - August 3 |
| OWCS 2025 NA Stage 3 | September 6 - October 26 |
| OWCS 2025 EMEA Stage 3 | September 6 - October 26 |
| OWCS 2025 China Stage 3 | September 6 - October 12 |
| OWCS 2025 Japan Stage 3 | August 25 - October 12 |
| OWCS 2025 Korea Stage 3 | August 29 - October 12 |
| OWCS 2025 Pacific Stage 3 | August 28 - October 2 |
| OWCS 2025 World Finals | November 26-30 |
Overwatch Champions Series Format
The OWCS is divided into four regions – North America, EMEA, Asia, and China. China was added to the competitive circuit as a separate region at the start of 2025, after the return of Overwatch to the country for the first time since Blizzard and NetEase ended their partnership in 2023.
For the 2025 season, there were also other changes, namely the reduced size of North American and EMEA regions to eight teams. Meanwhile, the league structure in Japan and the Pacific changed by eliminating the Wild Card round.
Moreover, the season has been divided into three splits, similar to League of Legends.
Unlike most other competitive leagues, the OWCS now includes promotion and relegation. The bottom two teams in EMEA, NA, the bottom three in Korea, and the bottom four in Japan have to fight for their spot for the next split in the FACEIT Masters Series.
Meanwhile, the top two teams from each region’s split advance to international LAN events, including the season-ending OWCS World Finals.
Overwatch Champions Series History & Past Champions
The Overwatch Champions Series succeeded the Overwatch League, which was formed by Activision Blizzard as a franchised Overwatch esports league – akin to the NBA – with slots sold for $20 million.
Despite the initial success, the Overwatch League had many issues, including the lukewarm response to the release of Overwatch 2 in 2022. The challenges led to the disbandment of OWL in 2024 and, ultimately, its replacement by the Overwatch Champions Series.
The OWCS hosted its debut season in 2024, which was won by Team Falcons, who bested their regional rivals, Crazy Raccoon, in the grand finals of the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) World Finals 4-1.
| Year | Champions |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Team Falcons |
| 2025 | TBD |
The Best Overwatch Champions Series Betting Sites
As the main competitive series of Overwatch 2 esports, the Overwatch Champions Series is also the most popular Overwatch competition to bet on. So, it comes as no surprise that the OWCS is well-covered by all online betting sites with esports markets.
Where to Watch Overwatch Champions Series?
Overwatch Champions Series is the premier Overwatch 2 esports competition, which enjoys solid coverage by various streaming services, including Twitch and YouTube. OWCS streams are also available on online bookmakers who offer live streaming services, such as Stake, PickleBet, and 1xBet.
