“My hope is that the momentum will continue helping players achieve that dream of going from a ranked player all the way up to playing on the World Finals stage.”
Blizzard Entertainment made major announcements about the future of Overwatch 2 esports during the 2025 Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) World Finals at DreamHack Stockholm. Not only will the OWCS 2026 season run alongside the Overwatch World Cup, but the collegiate scene will get an update, the OWCS will get a pre-season boot camp, and FACEIT League will continue being a pathway to the circuit. Esports.gg sat down with Sean Miller, the head of Overwatch esports, for an interview about this and the evolution and impact of the franchise's competitive scene.
Interview with Sean Miller at OWCS World Finals 2025
In his interview with esports.gg, Miller shared that he feels the energy at DreamHack Stockholm as the competition grows more intense and more fans enter the venue. The competition has also surprised him so far, especially with a couple of predicted favorites dropping into the lower bracket. According to him, the OWCS format has delivered strong results this year and has allowed each region to build its own identity and storyline, too. Now, he's watching the unexpected Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and Korean outcomes closely.
"When we were walking around backstage, I just couldn't believe that those two EMEA teams won and the Korean teams lost. And so I think I'm just excited to see how that storyline plays out," he said, adding that he looks forward to seeing matchups like Twisted Minds versus Al Qadsiah and Crazy Raccoon versus Falcons play out. "I think we couldn't have asked for a more exciting competition."
Overwatch 2 esports at DreamHack Stockholm
Earlier this year, the OWCS circuit had the Champions Clash in Hangzhou, China as its first live event. This was followed by the Midseason Championship at the Esports World Cup (EWC). With the final major live event happening now DreamHack Stockholm, it builds on the history of last year's OWCS World Finals held at the same venue.
According to Miller, DreamHack events are special because they feel like a full celebration of Overwatch 2. They go beyond competition by offering something for dedicated esports fans, players interested in Vendetta content, and even those who no longer play the game but want to participate in other community activities. Did you know that folks can take photos with a Vendetta cosplayer and her sword at the venue?
OWCS 2026 roadmap: The future of Overwatch 2 esports
As noted, the OWCS 2026 roadmap will introduce programs like pre-season boot camps in Korea to help teams become stronger. The Overwatch World Cup will also return at BlizzCon, and North American collegiate events will provide additional opportunities for players and fans. This will be a continuation of OWCS’s broader goal of balancing accessibility with talent development, where FACEIT’s circuits feed directly into the OWCS ecosystem.
"Each program really does serve a purpose, right? Take the pre-season boot camp, for example. So when Nightmare beat Crazy Raccoon earlier this year in Hangzhou, it blew everybody's mind," Miller told esports.gg. "And pretty quickly, we all went to investigate -- how did this happen? What we found was a lot of the teams will boot camp, particularly if there's an event in Asia, in Korea, and it really seems to level up their game. And so when we talk about the pre-season boot camp, that's really trying to find this better regional parity -- help all people level up before the OWCS season starts."
He continued, adding that the Overwatch World Cup is a massive celebration connected to BlizzCon. He also revealed that organizing all the events, including North American collegiate competitions, is like doing a fairly complicated jigsaw puzzle. However, when it comes together, it creates a full ecosystem where folks can play, watch, or engage with Overwatch 2 in whatever way that works for them.
Miller said the on-stage announcement of Dallas Fuel becoming a Partner Team was particularly meaningful to him as well. He has lived in Dallas for many years and has known the team for a long time, making the moment quite touching and a full-circle moment. Additionally, expanding team slots with fan favorites like Dallas Fuel and new faces likes Disguised will create a balanced and exciting roster for next year.
"I interned at the Overwatch League in its inaugural year, so that's where I started in esports. And I'll never forget walking into the arena that they had in LA and just being blown away by the competition, by the teams, by kind of the whole thing," he said. "And then the second core memory for esports was BlizzCon when I went to the World Cup. I just sat there for a really long time, and I was just like, 'This is so cool.'"
Overwatch 2 esports: An era of momentum
When we asked Miller what he hopes fans will say about the 2025 season, he said he wants it to be remembered as the moment Overwatch esports reignited and really picked up momentum.
"I hope that they say that this was a time when things really picked up momentum," he told esports.gg. "We're seeing momentum build across the esport and growth, and my hope is that the momentum will continue helping players achieve that dream of going from a ranked player all the way up to playing on the World Finals stage or people that are just so grateful to have Overwatch in their life through OWCS or any of our programs. And so when I think about all of the different types of fans that we see and meet, I hope they'll be able to kind of look back and think, 'Oh, this is when things reignited for the esport.'"
That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more Overwatch 2 news, interviews, and updates.
