Overwatch 2 esports for all: “You can engage no matter where you’re at and who you are.”

In addition to its diverse roster of heroes, Overwatch 2 is made special by the stories of its competitive community. We sat down with Bailey McCann, the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) and Calling All Heroes product lead at Blizzard, for an interview about the positive impact of Overwatch 2 esports!

Whether it’s Kyle "Rakattack" Rakauskas and his mother sharing the player's esports journey or Evelyn "Eskay" Hollis' mother flying to Dallas for the inaugural OWCS Major and Creator Showmatch, there is no shortage of inspiring and wholesome moments within the Overwatch 2 community.

To McCann, who also attended the Dallas Major, it is events like these that provide fans, players, and content creators — both old and new — the chance to connect and engage in meaningful ways. These events, happening in a more open ecosystem compared to the previous Overwatch League (OWL) circuit, make esports accessible for everyone.

"With the OWCS being a more open ecosystem, it allows any player or five friends to just go compete and make it to the top. So it is just more accessible for them," McCann said. "We see a lot of amateur players who were previously in Contenders competing against the old OWL folks. It's a lot of old versus new, which is super exciting."

She continued, recalling a moment from earlier this year involving the circuit's expansion into Asia. Back in February 2024, Japanese player Nozl had a match right after work while on a business trip. Therefore, he used his laptop and played on a trackpad from his hotel room.

"It was a crazy, fun story, which is super exciting. And I think that's just some of the new stuff that we're getting with bringing in more regions and more fans," McCann said.

By creating these new stories and moments in Overwatch 2 esports, McCann has received a lot of gratitude from players. As another example, a program like Calling All Heroes fosters a sense of community and gives players a genuine sense of belonging.

"I've had a lot of players approach me and just say, 'Hey, this program has been so helpful because I felt empowered that I had a community that I could engage in that had my back. I felt like I belonged,'" McCann said. "You feel like there's a place for you. You have like-minded folks that do and care about the same passions and hobbies that you do. And honestly, across the board, for anyone, I think that's pretty empowering."

McCann then noted how discovering Overwatch through a gaming club at her university ultimately shaped her own involvement in esports.

"I got involved in a collegiate team and I started working on esports events," she recalled. "I used to always run online tournaments when I used to be a tournament organizer. And then I went to a live event and I was like, 'Oh my god. It's real.' It just really flipped a switch in me that was like, 'Oh, this could be a career for myself and so many other people.' I would say for me, a pivotal moment was the 2019 OWL Finals in Philly."

Before joining Blizzard, McCann helped run the Overwatch Empowerment Cup, which focused on women and marginalized genders in competitive gaming. Now at Blizzard, she continues this mission with the Calling All Heroes initiative. She told esports.gg that many players find the supportive environment of this circuit less hostile.

"So having that space — I think is so awesome. It's a struggle that I had personally. I'm able to help make others not have to go through that or have an easier time and feel very like, 'I can do this. It's for me.'"

Overall, compared to OWL, today’s OWCS, Calling All Heroes, and collegiate offerings have made esports more inclusive for everyone.

"They're easy to get involved in, and we want to continue that and improve on that structure. We want to just make you feel that you can engage no matter where you're at and who you are," McCann told esports.gg.

There are many ways to engage with the scene beyond just competing or being a fan as well. In-person attendees, for example, can enjoy festivals such as DreamHack, cosplay as their favorite characters, and even duke it out against others for fun in free play.

To McCann, it's these in-person and live events that let people from all walks of life meet, feel supported, and find a place where they can truly be themselves.

"Overwatch esports, for me, was an outlet. And it provided an avenue for me to explore myself, meet people who were supportive, and feel like I could be myself, which is very powerful for anyone and anything that you do," she said. "And a lot of our players have said something similar — that esports is just another way to do that. And all the things I've been talking about, especially the live events, I think are just the pinnacle of that."

As for parting words, McCann encouraged everyone to tune in for OWCS Stage 4.

That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more Overwatch 2 interviews, news, and updates!