Toronto Esports Club Leaves Overwatch Over Demand To Drop Toronto From Name

Drama has arisen in the Overwatch League community after the Toronto Esports Club - academy affiliate to Boston Uprising - announced departure from Overwatch. Reportedly, Blizzard demanded the organization to remove ‘Toronto’ from its name, which did not sit well. Following its abrupt departure, Toronto Esports Club will be focusing on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Fortnite.

The announcement was made via Toronto Esports Club’s Twitter on November 12, 2018. In their announcement, Toronto Esports claimed that Blizzard had demanded they remove ‘Toronto’ from their name before 6 weeks, during Overwatch Contenders Season 3. The organization expressed deep frustration with the Overwatch League and Blizzard over the decision, ultimately capping off the tweet with a “good riddance”.

We have been informed by Blizzard that we will be forced to remove “Toronto” from our brand in only 6 weeks. Mid Contenders season 3. The reason cited: @TorontoDefiant have purchased “exclusive naming rights”. We will be leaving Overwatch effective immediately. Good riddance.

— Toronto Esports Club (@TOesports) November 13, 2018

Despite the seemingly brazen move by Overwatch, it may also be the result of campaigning and jeering at Toronto Defiant by Toronto Esports Club since the formers inception, which some viewers saw as overly aggressive. After Toronto Defiant’s reveal, Toronto Esports Club launched into a number of tweets about competing with the new Overwatch League team. Beyond a request for a match, Toronto Esports Club could be seen goading and calling Defiant out and retweeting comments supporting a match between the two organizations, such as what can be seen below.

It doesn’t take a lot for them to say that on twitter though does it ? What does their silence tell you, when there are hundreds of fans asking them to reply.

— Toronto Esports Club (@TOesports) November 8, 2018

As mentioned prior, the departure of Toronto Esports Club from Overwatch is especially alarming as they were part of Boston Uprising’s Contenders program. Despite the abrupt exit of Toronto Esports, both they and Uprising expressed mutual statements that there was no ill will on either’s part. Toronto Esports would go on to praise Uprising for solid partnership between the two despite the decision in a following tweet.

For their part, Boston Uprising executive and Kraft Group President of Gaming Chris “HuK” Loranger claimed that his team and organization had little say in the matter of Toronto Defiant, Toronto Esports Club, and Blizzard’s decision. Despite this, Loranger was unable to expand further on his thoughts of the situation, but did signal that the players and staff that were involved with Toronto Esports Club’s involvement in the Overwatch League would continue to operate under a new brand.

I do not have the ability at the moment to address the recent or current decision out of @TOesports and we were not part of the decision at all. That being said we retain ownership of all the player and staff contracts and ownership over the contenders slot.

— Chris ‘HuK’ Loranger (@LorangerChris) November 13, 2018

With two Los Angeles teams already setting a precedent for multiple teams under one city name in the Overwatch League, it’s difficult to say that carrying the name ‘Toronto’ was the entire issue for Blizzard and the Toronto Esports Club. Even further, the number of retweets in the time since the announcement don’t dispel the aggressive frustration on Toronto Esports Club’s side, but with the exit of the organization, it may be now a moot point. Nonetheless, Blizzard and Toronto Defiant have not offered official comment on the matter.

Be sure to check out more Overwatch League recent announcements, including the introduction of the Chengdu Hunters and the Paris Eternal.