“Having a space like Calling All Heroes allows them to enjoy their hobby without feeling attacked for who they are. They get to be themselves. They get to have an authentic experience.”
The Overwatch 2 Calling All Heroes Major 1 tournament will kick off this weekend! Read on for the full schedule, what to expect, where to watch the esports action, plus insights on why Calling All Heroes matters to LGBTQIA+ fans and players.
Calling All Heroes 2024-25 Challengers Series Major 1 schedule
The main Calling All Heroes Major 1 event will take place between June 8 and June 9. The matches will begin at 11 a.m. PT each day. Prior to this event, between May 25 and May 26, the circuit featured six rounds of Swiss. Only the top eight teams advanced to the next stage of the competition.
Where to watch and what to expect
Fans and supporters will be able to catch the Calling All Heroes Major 1 Main Event on Twitch and YouTube. There will be some viewership incentives such as the Monarch Venture skin and Flower Friends spray as well.
In terms of the talent, the livestream will feature Vicki "gottmoxi" Johnson, Dusttin "DusttinB" Bowerman, Cassi "CeeBee" Brown, and Molly "TinyShiny" Denz.
Additionally, the upcoming tournament will have a double-elimination bracket. All of the matches will be under the first-to-three (Ft3) format. In terms of the prize pool, it will be $6,500 USD.
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Why the Calling All Heroes circuit matters
Calling All Heroes is an Overwatch 2 esports circuit that champions players of marginalized gender identities. One of the key folks behind this circuit is Bailey McCann, who is the Calling All Heroes product lead at Activision Blizzard. In an interview with esports.gg, McCann shared her thoughts on what this circuit means to fans and players of the LGBTQIA+ community.
"A couple fans came up just saying how happy they are with Calling All Heroes because it makes them feel comfortable engaging in Overwatch esports," McCann said in the interview. "I've had a couple people mention they've had tough times in competitive play or when they wanted to join a team and get more involved in esports and just competitive gaming — they've had toxic experiences. But having a space like Calling All Heroes allows them to enjoy their hobby without feeling attacked for who they are. They get to be themselves. They get to have an authentic experience."
McCann added how sometimes, a space like this is not always possible for everyone. Therefore, when players have it, it's very rewarding. "And for me, that's honestly some of the most rewarding things that I can hear," she said. McCann then continued, noting that visibility really helps since it encourages dialogue and makes people feel more welcome.
Meanwhile, in an interview posted by Blizzard, CeeBee shared her thoughts on the significance Calling All Heroes as well. She said that it's important to acknowledge that the esports industry is still growing. Therefore, the impact that fans and supporters are making now will shape the future of competitive gaming.
"Calling All Heroes is giving players and talent of marginalized genders the opportunity to say we are here to say and we’re going to be a part of that future," she said.
That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more news, interviews, and updates!
