A new info drop from Blizzard pertaining the Overwatch League has details on what players should be getting once they signed a contract to play in the league. Blizzard has promised that players will be getting stability with fairer contracts, and it looks promising for now.
Players that sign the Overwatch League Player Agreement will be entitled for the following:
- Teams will sign players to one-year guaranteed contracts with the option to extend the contract for an additional year.
- The minimum salary for players is $50,000 USD per year.
- Teams will provide players with health insurance and a retirement savings plan.
- Teams will distribute at least 50% of their team performance bonuses (i.e. money from winning playoffs and other League events) to their players directly.
Players will also be given proper housing by their teams.
However, being tied to an already established organisation, even if said organisation has a slot in Overwatch League, doesn’t mean they are automatically get this contract. As far as Blizzard is concerned, all the 30 million+ Overwatch players out there are free agents, until they sign the Overwatch League Player Agreement with a team which is then approved by the league.
That means Overwatch players at NRG, Misfits and Immortals- three endemic organisations that already have a slot in the league, will need to renegotiate contracts for their existing lineup should they choose to have them playing in the league.
To prepare for Season 1, the player signing window will commence from August 1 to October 30. Team roster can go up to 12 players with no region-locking (any player can play for any city/team).
So far 7 teams and cities have been confirmed to join the Overwatch League’s inaugural season. $3.5 million USD is up for grabs and a minimum of $1 million going to the Season 1 winner.