Overwatch League's First Home Game: First Impressions

Today marks the first “home game” in the Overwatch League, with the Dallas Fuel hosting several teams at the Allen Event Center for “Homestand Weekend.” The inaugural event marks a huge step for the League, who has been working hard at bringing more traditional-sport-inspired aspects (such as city-based teams and premium sponsorship partners) to esports as a whole. Eyes from across the spectrum of esports will surely be on this weekend’s game, looking to see what sort of success Blizzard can pull from a show on the road.

So far, it would appear that the reception is positive, with the Allen Event Center’s 4500 seats selling out a little over a week before the event. Very excited about the opportunity to host a live event, the Dallas Fuel’s owner, Mike “hastr0” Rufail took to Twitter to share what hosting the “first home game” means to him.

Very excited for #TheFirstHomeGame tomorrow. I have been to events all over the world for the past 12 years of my esports career dreaming of the day when I could create my own. Tomorrow is that day. I hope you all enjoy making history with me and our amazing team @DallasFuel.

— Mike Rufail (@hastr0) April 27, 2019

As seen in a reddit post from user Zelusion, the stage for the Homestand Weekend appears inspired by the first set-up used at the Blizzard arena, used for Overwatch Contenders: Season One Europe Finals. A notable update to that stage is the inclusion of what we assume are player-cam screens on the front of each station. Sadly, one of the most frustrating aspects of that staging returned as well.

One can see the three large monitors hanging above which will most likely reflect player selections/status on the sides, with gameplay in the middle. Judging from this single picture (maybe it’s not a great angle) these monitors are at a very steep viewing angle for people sitting in the floor seats. We’re hoping for the sake of the necks of everyone in the floor chairs that there are more monitors set behind the stage to allow for better viewing. With a sold-out house, however, we hope (re: expect) there to be a bevy of viewing options.

Creating a spectacular viewing experience is essential to the success of the event. If the audience feels like they get a better experience watching on ABC or Twitch from home (and for free), coming out to the arena may get pushed aside for them once the novelty wears off,

The Homestand Weekends may just be the perfect way to test road games before diving all the way in. Their rarity ensures that curious esports fans will come to watch, while their less-permanent nature forgives issues that may arise there (broadcasting issues, poor viewing angles, etc). But as we see more teams announcing plans for home arenas, how can these learnings put into place before it’s too late?

Perhaps the first learning would be to not spread the audience too thin. As mentioned above, viewing options for fans of the Overwatch League are pretty vast, with viewers across a live venue, television, cable, and the internet. While traditional sports may be able to run multiple events at once, esports has a long way to go before games could run at the same time from multiple venues without cannibalizing their own views. Doing this additionally helps keep production costs lower, with cast, crew, and equipment able to shift location week to week.

Second would be to keep the team pools during these rotations small. This makes the events all that more special when your team comes to your hometown, and also gives players a bit of a break. With player burnout a major topic, weeks without play could be just what the doctor ordered.

Finally, making sure to build rivalries. While this might not seem as important regarding the Homestand Weekends, it totally is. Teams and Overwatch League editorial really need to start scripting out friendly clashes so that new fans know not only who to root for, but who to root against. We recently saw the Vancouver Titans call out the Toronto Defiant for a “NorthernClash,” ensuring one king of Canada. More like this, please.

The #NorthernClash has an official Watch Party! #ForceOfNature

→ https://t.co/FGsEoSZCM0 pic.twitter.com/MVSANfsyQg

— Vancouver Titans (@VancouverTitans) April 27, 2019

All in all, we feel that home games are an excellent step for esports. Bringing the excitement and energy of a match to a new audience is essential in earning new fans and building hype around players and teams.

Watch live video from OverwatchLeague on www.twitch.tv

We’re looking forward to seeing what learnings the Overwatch League has applied since their only non-Blizzard arena game, the Overwatch League Finals, last year. Want to watch with us? Check out the games from Dallas, below.