- The Overwatch League has announced news of the roster requirements for the next OWL season
- Franchises have until March 1, 2022, to fully assemble a team
- The salary of the OWL players has been increased by $700 because of the inflation
With the Overwatch League’s next season switching to Overwatch 2, the league reveals new roster construction rules.
The OWL’s new Roster Requirements
After a few months of information drought, the Overwatch League announced more Overwatch 2 news, this time about the game’s competitive aspect and roster construction rules for the upcoming 2022 season.
The main change is one that fans already know of – the switch from a 6 versus 6 to a 5 versus 5 format because of the controversial removal of a tank spot in Overwatch 2. As the next season will be played in an early Overwatch 2 build, the minimum number of players required to form a team has been reduced by one (from 7 to 6, meaning that a team should always have at least one benchwarmer). The maximum number remains 12.
If a team has a minimum of 6 players, it can sign other short-term 30-day contracts with other players as well. Season contracts will continue lasting for a single season but will now have a unilateral team option that can extend it with an additional season.
Lastly, players now are also free to have both contracts in an Overwatch League franchise and an Overwatch Contenders team with no other restrictions whatsoever.
The Current Schedule and Deadlines
Once the current Overwatch League season is over and the September 25 grand finals come to pass, teams and organizations can begin signing contracts and exchanging members. Fans of the OWL can expect a lot of changes to the rosters they are used to.
If a contract isn’t extended by October 2, players can wait until October 9 to become free agents. Then, on October 10, franchises can begin signing free agents without paying any fees.
There is a generous deadline for forming a team and franchises can freely take their time. Currently, they need to have at least five players by January 3 next year but can wait a bit until March 1 to complete their roster to the six-person minimum.
As for players themselves, the Overwatch League has increased the annual salary of players from $50,000 to $50,700, citing the increasing costs of living because of global inflation as the reason for the decision.
Overwatch 2 is definitely going to reshape things in both casual and competitive play. Players who wish to learn more about Overwatch 2 can wait until this OWL season’s grand finals on September 25 when more will be revealed.
