DreamHack Dallas 2024 hosts the inaugural Overwatch Champion Collection (OWCS) Main that options the highest eight groups. Bailey McCann, the OWCS and Calling All Heroes product lead at Activision Blizzard, performed a key function in organizing the circuit. We sat down with McCann for an interview!
OWCS Bailey McCann interview: Followers, area locking, and variety
All seats had been taken at any time when DreamHack attendees entered the OWCS space. The occasion’s giant crowd even prompted the employees so as to add extra seating. To McCann, in-person occasions like this are one thing magical.
“It’s so good to see folks in individual, their smiles, actually having the ability to stroll by the Overwatch corridor. And there have been so many individuals crowding our space. The stage is simply superior,” McCann stated.
She continued, noting that whereas the OWCS is a brand new chapter of Overwatch 2 esports, there are loads gamers from the outdated guard blended with beginner gamers both on the identical groups or going towards one another. “I feel that makes the matches actually thrilling. Europe has its personal area for the primary time shortly. So I feel that’s actually thrilling to look at these groups representing their area on the large stage.”
Having devoted areas for Europe and Asia, with sub-regions in Korea, Japan, and the Pacific, together with area locking, ensures that native expertise can compete inside their very own areas, she continued.
Relating to McCann’s work, illustration additionally goes past completely different areas. Within the interview with esports.gg, she revealed how followers have walked as much as her all through DreamHack Dallas to specific their gratitude for Calling all Heroes. Calling All Heroes is a aggressive circuit that champions gender inclusivity and marginalized gender identities. Having an area the place they’ll get pleasure from their pastime whereas attending to be their genuine selves makes McCann’s work all value it.
“I feel the visibility actually helps,” she continued. “It makes folks speak about issues, and I feel dialogue actually makes folks really feel extra welcome.”
Going from the Overwatch League to the OWCS
The OWCS is the successor of the Overwatch League, with the latter circuit concluding within the 2023 Grand Finals. McCann shared insights in regards to the transition from the outdated circuit to OWCS. She defined that beginning any esports program includes educating the fan base when it comes to making them conscious of what’s taking place and serving to them know the place to go.
Establishing such a routine is a problem as a result of followers are used to particular schedules and streaming channels. Nonetheless, the joy of a brand new program means alternatives for brand spanking new storylines. Drawing from her expertise with Calling All Heroes, McCann famous that it was an analogous journey to begin from scratch and steadily construct up storylines over time.
“With the OWCS, we’re attempting to have a way more accessible and open ecosystem the place anybody’s capable of play and simply become involved,” McCann continued. “You possibly can be part of one in all our open qualifiers and go all the way in which as much as the highest.”
One other a part of being within the OWCS group is the choice to buy a crowdfunding bundle to help the Dallas Main’s prize pool. To McCann, the community-focused method is all about making followers really feel engaged. “And I feel crowdfunding is an effective way for followers to achieve our product. You possibly can immediately contribute, and there’s simply so many alternative methods to interact in Overwatch esports.”
McCann then emphasised the openness to group and participant suggestions, particularly after the open qualifiers in North America and Europe. For instance, her workforce requested gamers what they favored, disliked, and what might be improved. One adjustment the OWCS made was switching from a map veto system to a loser’s decide format.
“After every map, the loser picks the following map, which for Overwatch has a fairly large influence in serving to the sequence be extra thrilling and extra aggressive,” McCann stated.
OWCS, Calling all Heroes, and the way forward for Overwatch 2 esports
By way of what McCann hopes for the way forward for OWCS, she advised esports.gg that she desires to maintain constructing participating storylines and regional rivalries in Overwatch 2 esports, particularly involving each veteran and new gamers. She additionally desires to see extra fan engagement and development by way of occasions like DreamHack.
“For me, I simply need you to see that develop and get larger and larger and see extra followers popping out right here,” she added.
As for parting phrases, McCann inspired followers to tune in for the Calling All Heroes Main 1 match.
“Calling All Heroes begins subsequent weekend for our first season for 2024-2025. It’s our first main of the circuit, which I feel can be enjoyable,” she stated.
That’s all for now. Stick round on esports.gg for extra Overwatch 2 interviews, information, and updates!