Blizzard is "Calling All Heroes" and announced their new esports tournament for Overwatch 2, dedicated to make esports more inclusive and open for all underrepresented people.
Blizzard has announced a new competition in Overwatch esports exclusively for women and all other marginalized genders. In this article, we will tell you all about its purpose, why it's getting criticized and how even you can apply for it, no matter your skill.
LGBTQIA+ Tournament For Marginalized Genders In Overwatch 2
With this new program, Blizzard wants to empower marginalized genders within the Overwatch community and create space for more inclusivity in esports. Even though the Path to Pro competitions are open for everyone of every gender and identity, the Overwatch League is still dominated by men. The "Calling All Heroes Challengers Cup" is supposed to serve as an entry point for underrepresented genders to jump into Overwatch esports.
We are calling ALL heroes! Overwatch and Overwatch League are dedicated to making a difference. We strive to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for underrepresented genders in Overwatch. We want you - our heroes - to join us. Learn more at https://t.co/qDzfxjXwF5 pic.twitter.com/sfNpMoYCEB
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) September 30, 2022
The tournament will run alongside Path to Pro as a separate competition. The Challengers Cup is split into two qualifier rounds in October and November and the grand finale in December.
How To Apply For Challengers Cup
The application process has begun on September 30 and will run until October 28. The application is open to anyone at the age of 18 of an underrepresented gender. Players of any rank can apply for the Challengers Cup.
You can either apply as a free agent or as a team. The Challengers Cup will have a gender verification system, in which applicants will have to confirm their gender through verification of Battle.Net and social media accounts, as well as self-gender identification information. But Blizzard has also stated, that they will trust an applicant's self-gender identification whatsoever.
Critical Comments In The Overwatch Community
Surprisingly, the "Calling All Heroes" campaign has received quite a lot of criticism on Twitter. People are calling it "unnecessary", some people think that Blizzard is only doing this because of their sexism scandal in the past, and someone even tweeted, that it is sexist in itself because cis-men aren't included.
I think bashing Blizzard for creating a room for inclusivity and acceptance for genders that just aren't represented in esports, is just ridiculous. Although I agree with the fact, that esports shouldn't focus on gender at all and should just be about skill and performance, the challengers cup is making Overwatch esports more accessible and attractive for women and other genders, who often receive sexism and hate within the community. Because of that, many people don't have the courage to participate in Overwatch esports.
What do you think about the new Challengers Cup? Feel free to let us know and share your opinion!