Tech giants HP and Intel have teamed with the Overwatch League as part of a major sponsorship agreement. Intel will also sponsor competitive play of the game in events outside of the Overwatch League.
The multiyear sponsorship agreement will see players equipped with HP OMEN gaming PCs and displays, used exclusively for Overwatch League matches, powered by Intel Core i7 processors.
“OMEN hardware has been widely adopted by many of the world’s top e-sports professionals, and we’re thrilled to help power the gameplay for the Overwatch League,” said HP’s Alex Craddock, global head of marketing, personal systems.
The Overwatch League, announced last November, will feature 12 teams representing major cities from Asia, Europe and North America and includes backers such as New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, COO of the New York Mets Jeff Wilpon, and co-owner of the Sacramento Kings Andy Miller.
The league centers around Blizzard and Activision’s best-selling first-person shooter game, Overwatch, which boasts more than 30 million players globally. The inaugural season begins on Jan. 10, 2018, and will run until June, with playoffs and finals scheduled for July. Preseason matches begin on Dec. 6, with a series of exhibition matches featuring the inaugural 12 teams.
All Overwatch League games will take place at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, a state-of-the-art venue in Burbank custom-renovated for Blizzard Entertainment eSports events. The studio was once the home of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.