“The power of an open ecosystem is there’s such a low barrier to entry that if you’re good, and if you can put together a team, you can make it to DreamHack, you can make it to these live events, you can make it to World Finals.”
The inaugural Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) World Finals are happening live at DreamHack Stockholm, and among the key folks there is head of Overwatch Esports Sean Miller. Esports.gg sat down with him for an interview about the evolution of Overwatch 2 esports, OWCS 2025, and how the current ecosystem builds community by celebrating new talent and honoring the past.
OWCS 2025 interview with Sean Miller
During the OWCS World Finals, it was announced that the circuit will return in 2025. The OWCS 2025 roadmap will feature three live events, a team partnership program, a streamlined format, increased broadcasts, and so much more. In his interview with esports.gg, Miller said that Overwatch 2 esports has been an iterative and evolving journey. It has also involved trying out new ideas such as promotion and relegation in OWCS 2025.
"I think the improvements that we're making next year with the format really speak to some of the things we wanted to make better," Miller added. "Streamlining is the first thing that comes to mind — the experience of making it just as easy as we possibly can to be a fan amidst what can be a little bit chaotic in an open ecosystem. Teams can come and go, and that can make it harder to be a fan."
He then reflected on how 2024 set a strong foundation for Overwatch 2 esports in 2025, referring to events like DreamHack Dallas and greater involvement from co-streamers and players.
"The power of an open ecosystem is there's such a low barrier to entry that if you're good, and if you can put together a team, you can make it to DreamHack, you can make it to these live events, you can make it to World Finals," Miller added. "And that's such a powerful story."
An example of a powerful storyline is the one involving team NTMR. Prior to this interview, NTMR players went up to Miller and expressed their sincere gratitude about the open ecosystem. This left a lasting impression on Miller, showing him the real and positive impact of the initiative on the Overwatch 2 esports community. Miller also acknowledged the significance of hosting a major event in Europe for the first time in years.
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OWCS 2025: Championing the new and honoring the past
While the OWCS features an open ecosystem that welcomes new teams and players, it also honors those who have been part of the Overwatch esports scene for years. Succeeding the Overwatch League (OWL) circuit earlier this year after the 2023 OWL Grand Finals, the OWCS continues to benefit from the support of competitors, broadcast talent, and streamers from the previous circuit.
"Old Ocean is kind of that way — you have Je-hong's team," Miller said, referring to Ryu "ryujehong" Je-hong's team from OWCS Asia. "He's a legendary Overwatch player and he put together an awesome mixture of new talent and veterans. And I think it's really important to have that as a whole ecosystem."
He continued, referring to OWCS 2025, "The role that FACEIT plays in that is pretty significant in North America and the EMEA. So with promotion and relegation, two teams from the OWCS as the bottom two will compete against the top two in FACEIT Masters. And to me, that level of openness and player development [is crucial as] FACEIT continues to iterate and evolve [to make talent development easier]."
Building an Overwatch 2 esports fanbase
Similar to DreamHack Dallas' Hanzo bundle, DreamHack Stockholm features crowdfunding bundles with Junkrat, Mei, and Tracer skins in the colors of Florida Mayhem. For context, Floridan Mayhem won OWL Grand Finals 2023 prior to the OWCS' introduction.
Miller acknowledged that in addition to crowdfunding, consistent broadcasts, in-game drops, and players' wish to show off their OWCS skins all help build community among old and new fans. He also mentioned the opportunity for fans to support teams through skins.
He then told esports.gg that he has a special fondness for Kim "Proper" Dong-hyun, who is playing for Team Falcons this weekend. Miller recalled the player's MVP performance in the 2022 OWL Grand Finals as a rookie, and how it's great to see the player at DreamHack Stockholm today.
"I'll just never forget watching that because it was my first time as a fan and at this job. There were so many emotions, so there's a special place in my heart for Proper and being able to see him succeed. So not saying he's my favorite, not saying he is who I want to win, but I do have a special place for him and so many of these players."
As for parting words, Miller said that he's excited about the upcoming team partner program that will let fans select up to nine teams to support starting in January. He believes that the addition of team partnerships and the broadcast of every regular season match will level up the OWCS in 2025.
That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more Overwatch 2 interviews, news, and updates!
