Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled the full roadmap for the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) 2026, featuring three major international live events spanning the entire calendar year . Following the game’s rebranding from Overwatch 2 back to simply Overwatch and the massive Season 1: Reign of Talon launch on February 10, the competitive scene is undergoing its own transformation .
The 2026 season will include the Champions Clash in Tokyo, a Midseason Championship in Riyadh as part of the Esports World Cup, and the World Finals in China . Partner teams across North America, EMEA, and Asia have been confirmed, including the return of a familiar face from the Overwatch League era .
Here’s everything announced for the Overwatch Champions Series 2026.
Three Live International Events
For the first time since the Overwatch League restructured, OWCS 2026 will feature three in-person international events across three continents .
OWCS 2026 Major Events
| Event | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Champions Clash | May 22-24, 2026 | Tokyo, Japan |
| Midseason Championship | July 29 – August 2, 2026 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| World Finals | December 2-6, 2026 | China (city TBA) |
Partner Teams & Dallas Fuel Returns
During the World Finals weekend in late 2025, Blizzard revealed the partner teams for the 2026 OWCS season across North America, EMEA, and Asia .
Confirmed Partner Teams by Region
| Region | Teams |
|---|---|
| North America | Team Liquid, Spacestation Gaming, Disguised, Dallas Fuel |
| EMEA | Twisted Minds, Virtus.pro, Team Peps |
| Asia | T1, Team Falcons, Crazy Raccoon, Zeta Division |
The biggest news is the return of the Dallas Fuel, a beloved franchise from the Overwatch League era . The team, which operated as part of the OWL since its inception, will now compete under the Envy organization in the OWCS circuit .
Chinese partner teams will be announced at a later date, as the region prepares to host the World Finals in December .
Preseason Bootcamp & Stage 1 Details
A new addition to the 2026 calendar is the OWCS Preseason Bootcamp, running from February 13-15, 2026 in South Korea . This event brings together all 11 partner teams plus one invited team for an intensive three-day preparation period .
Bootcamp features:
- Exclusive early access to the upcoming competitive build
- Daily scrims and practice matches
- Collaboration with Korean teams and coaches
- Live broadcasts with professional commentary on SOOP
Stage 1 Schedule & Prize Pool
The regular season kicks off with Stage 1 running from March 21 to April 12, 2026 . Each region will compete in its own format, with top teams advancing to international events .
EMEA Stage 1 details:
- Regular Season: March 21 – April 5 (Round Robin)
- Regional Playoffs: April 10 – 12 (Double Elimination)
- Prize Pool: $75,000 USD
- Teams: 6 partner teams competing
Hero bans return with a new format: each team bans one hero per map, with bans impacting both teams. Each ban must be from a different role than the other team’s ban, and teams cannot ban the same hero twice in a series .
SOOP Broadcast Partnership
SOOP has been confirmed as the exclusive Korean broadcast partner for OWCS 2026, continuing its relationship with Blizzard from previous years . Korean viewers can watch all matches in up to 1440p高清 with professional commentary .
Broadcast features include: All OWCS ASIA – Korea matches, Preseason Bootcamp coverage, International events including Champions Clash and World Finalsand Viewer participation rewards and match prediction events.
The OWCS ASIA – Korea league consists of three stages annually, with top teams securing qualifications for international tournaments . Six teams—Crazy Raccoon, Fearless, T1, ZETA DIVISION, WAE, and ONIGIRI—have already secured automatic qualification based on previous season performance .