Blizzard Changes Format for Overwatch Contenders 2020

Blizzard Entertainment announced a new format for Overwatch Contenders 2020 and it starts with a qualifying tournament. Contenders will now have two regions instead of eight. Atlantic is made of Europe, North America, South America while Pacific is made up of Australia, China, Korea and Pacific.

The league will move to a move to a bi-weekly tournament series, where teams will be able to accumulate points that will ultimately qualify them into a regional playoff series.

In the post, Blizzard explains the new format, "Contenders Trials will take place over one week, where 12 teams (bottom 4 from Contenders, top 8 from Open Division) will compete in a single-elimination bracket. Phase 3 is the start of the regular season. This is where the first of the Contenders bi-weekly tournaments will take place, alternating week-to-week between the Atlantic and Pacific divisions. 12 teams—the top 4 Contenders teams and top 8 Contenders Trials teams—will compete in a single-elimination bracket."

Teams will earn points in this bracket and the top four teams will retain their qualification for the next Contenders tournament. The bottom eight will have to repeat phase two in a qualification tournament.

Eventually, the top 8 teams will compete in a double-elimination regional playoff. Those two winners will face off to become the Contenders champion. There will be two full seasons in 2020 allowing for two championship teams to be crowned.

Blizzard has yet to reveal the prize money for Contenders 2020.

Photo courtesy of Blizzard