Chinese internet technology firm ByteDance is restructuring the video games side of its business.
09.11.2023 - 00:23 / pcgamer.com
Earlier this year, Activision Blizzard expressed doubt about the long-term future of the Overwatch League, and said its efforts to maintain the city-based pro esports league "may prove unsuccessful." That has turned out to be the case, as Activision confirmed today that the Overwatch League as we know it is finished.
Announced in 2016, the Overwatch League was a groundbreaking idea modelled after conventional pro sports leagues: City-based teams would compete in seasonal home-and-away matches, eventually leading into a playoff series and world championship. But high startup costs—initial base franchise fees were reportedly $20 million—contributed to a slow start, and just a couple years after it went live the league was battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, which quashed its live-spectator ambitions.
The situation took a turn for the worse in 2021 following allegations of widespread discrimination and sexual misconduct at Activision Blizzard, which led multiple major sponsors to end their support for the league. The loss of a publishing partner in China—a situation that still hasn't been rectified—only added to the woes.
Activision acknowledged in a May filing with the SEC that it faced «headwinds which are negatively impacting the operations and, potentially, the longevity» of the Overwatch League, and that efforts to address them «could result in significant costs and… may prove unsuccessful.» A month later, the company said in a quarterly financial report that at the end of the current Overwatch League season, teams would vote on an amended operating agreement—and that if they did not vote to continue operating under the new terms, each team would receive a «termination fee» of $6 million, and that would be the end of it.
And that's apparently how it went. Earlier today, the Toronto Defiant (via GGRecon) announced its departure from the Overwatch League.
«We extend our deepest thanks to the Overwatch League, its fans, and the community for their unwavering support,» Adam Adamou, co-founder and interim CEO of Defiant owner OverActive Media, said in a statement. «Toronto Defiant has proudly competed under the League's banner, and we've built incredible memories together.»
Following that announcement, The Esports Advocate reported that a majority of teams have voted to exit the league. Other teams have not yet made formal announcements of their departure, but hinted at things happening.
https://t.co/zbKupDuNyz pic.twitter.com/8oYRZeUp5ONovember 8, 2023
OWL ending? Atlanta Reign not making Grand Finals? Leave never won a title? you wake up.you're just a lizard sunning on a red rock. it was all a dream.the concept of Overwatch esports is already fading as you lick your own eyeballs to moisten them.time to
Chinese internet technology firm ByteDance is restructuring the video games side of its business.
TikTok owner ByteDance is looking to get out of mainstream gaming, including at its subsidiary Nuverse, the publisher of Marvel Snap. ByteDance confirmed Monday in a statement to Polygon that it will “restructure” its gaming business. The decision is expected to lead to hundreds of layoffs, according to Reuters, which first reported the news. ByteDance has not confirmed the scope of its layoffs.
TikTok maker ByteDance is restructuring its video game business to deliver "long-term strategic growth."
A headless bard, strumming on a three-stringed instrument called the sanxian, sits leisurely on an exposed root of a great gnarled tree, seemingly alone within a brown, parched wilderness of grass and bushes. Yet from the skies, several cloaked figures give chase to a fleet-footed Sun Wukong, the eponymous hero of Black Myth: Wukong, as he carves a bloody path towards a derelict temple. It’s a breathtaking introduction to the latest trailer for the soulslike game, developed by Chinese indie studio Game Science, with a release date that’s slated for 2024.
League of Legends Worlds 2023 has come to an end, finally putting any debate as to the game's GOAT to bed.
The Chinese Room and Paradox Interactive have revealed plenty of new details on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 in the weeks since its re-reveal, talking about its design philosophies, narrative themes, neo-noir art style, the protagonist, and much more, and lately, has started sharing new details on the playable clans that will be available in the game. Last week, we got our first look at the Brujah clan, and now, the developers have offered a glimpse of the Tremere vampires.
Persona 5 Tactica has somehow found its way into the wild ahead of launch for the second time.
By Ash Parrish, a reporter who has covered the business, culture, and communities of video games for seven years. Previously, she worked at Kotaku.
Nvidia Corp., the world's most valuable chipmaker, is updating its H100 artificial intelligence processor, adding more capabilities to a product that has fueled its dominance in the AI computing market.
China's tech sector is racing to gain ground on developing artificial intelligence technology, but Google DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman predicts the US will still be in the lead 10 years from now.
The success of the Mate 60 series has prompted Huawei to begin development of newer flagships, with the latest rumor claiming that work on the P70 has commenced and a launch slated for 2024. Unfortunately, there is no word on which chipset will fuel its innards or if Huawei and SMIC have teamed up to produce a brand new silicon for it.
Brujah are the first of four playable clans to be revealed for Vampire: the Masquerade Bloodlines 2 since developer The Chinese Room took over the game's development.