While some are singing praises for the game’s “perfect marriage of casual and hardcore FPS gameplay,” the more scrutinous are criticizing its surprisingly underwhelming “tick-rate.” However, one critic in particular is looking past the general hype and is rather focusing on the game as a potential esport.
In a discussion hosted on the ScreenWatchers Gamescast, David Kerner argues that Overwatch, while being a great game, lacks a certain focus commonly found in highly spectated esports. Making comparisons to games like Dota 2, Hearthstone, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Kerner outlines the common characteristics in these games which allow for an enjoyable experience on streaming platforms like Twitch.
Apparently, these obstacles have not slowed down the rapid rise of Overwatch’s competitive scene. Yesterday, Esports Arena announced a new Overwatch tournament called Agents Rising, where all the top competitive teams in the world (including Cloud9) will be facing off for a $10,000 prize pool. The tournament is running all weekend long, and you can check out the live stream here.
