Nate Nanzer has been the commissioner of the Overwatch League since day one, and he’s had a front row seat to witnessing the meteoric rise of “esports.” Now he can sit back, relax, and enjoy how popular his league has become.
It seems like just yesterday that Nate was appointed as commissioner — in a sentence that could only be uttered by someone with an innate sense of irony or deep-seeded masochism — just before Christmas in 2016. But the Overwatch League is already in its third season, and has become the premier esport in the world.
We’ve had to endure short seasons, and pre-season tournaments known as “Overwatch League All-Stars.” We’ve seen our team names be changed from New York Excelsior to London Spitfire, and then again from London Spitfire to Florida Mayhem. We’ve watched our teams spend months without a head coach or front office staff. We’ve been through a number of controversies, both in-game and out of game.
But forget all that.
The Overwatch League is now the biggest esport in the world, and it still has room to grow. In fact, what once seemed like an impossibility is now a reality. Overwatch League games are regularly attracting more viewers than traditional sports leagues like the NBA, NFL, and NHL on some major streaming platforms .
It’s a far cry from where we started. As I mentioned earlier, the Overwatch League had a rocky start in its inaugural season. Let’s take this trip down memory lane together and relive some of the biggest controversies, mishaps, and missteps of the Overwatch League’s first season.
Yikes… that’s a lot to unpack. From the start of the Overwatch League, there were plenty of criticisms of Blizzard, its teams, and its players. But if Overwatch League has proven anything over the past two years, it’s that Blizzard is willing to listen to their fans and respond accordingly.
I remember the exact moment I realized how much the Overwatch community had grown. It was during All-Stars 2017 in August of last year — roughly eight months into the league’s inaugural season. Nate and I were walking down the streets of New York City on the way to a bar. My first question to him was simple: “Are you nervous?” As if that weren’t already a loaded enough question, my follow-up was downright pointed: “They’re going to boo you on stage.”
The smile on his face as he answered me both then and now is evidence that he never once considered that “the crowd could turn against him,” as I suggested. I think it’s because he realized how far the league and the game had come since day one. We were at the Barclays Center, which only a few years ago was where New York City FC of Major League Soccer played their home games. Now, it’s become a destination for esports enthusiasts around the world and an arena that regularly hosts sold-out Overwatch League matches.
Overwatch League teams have grown, and the fanbase has become more invested in the league. This is evident by the overwhelming success of esports-themed bars and restaurants that have popped up all over New York City. I recently had a drink at Fuel DC, which was my first Overwatch League experience. It was a great experience, from the drinks to the staff to the way this bar has successfully integrated Overwatch into its identity.
