Overwatch League adds new teams in Guangzhou and Atlanta
Blizzard's Mike Morhaime says, "we think that there will be more to come as well"
The Overwatch League has confirmed two new teams ahead of the 2019 season, one in Atlanta, Georgia in the US and another in Guangzhou, China.
The Atlanta-based team is backed by a partnership of Cox Enterprises and Province Inc. neither of which has a strong background in sports or video games. The Guangzhou team has a clear sports pedigree, however, with the Nenking Group, owner of the Guangzhou Long Lions basketball team, as its backer.
"We know Atlanta and Guangzhou have deeply engaged fan communities and we can't wait to unveil their teams," said Nate Nanzer, commissioner of the Overwatch League, in a statement.
"As the league continues to grow, we're looking forward to seeing more talented pros in action as more roster spots open up."
Further details, like what the teams will be called, will be unveiled at a later date. Speaking to investors, Blizzard Entertainment's Mike Morhaime said that, "we've already added two new great partners for Season 2, and we think that there will be more to come as well."
There was speculation about the location of the new Overwatch League teams at the start of this week. That information proved to be correct, and the same source claimed that the price of second season franchise spots could rise from $20 million to between $30 million and $60 million.