While it is an exciting day for the majority of the Overwatch League, it is a painful day instead for fans of the Chengdu Hunters. On Tuesday April 18, the Overwatch League announced the spring schedule for the 2023 season. Both APAC and NA teams have their official schedules set. However there was one team that was missing from the schedule. The Chengdu Hunters were rumored to be taking a break from the Overwatch League this upcoming season, and with the OWL’s recent announcement, it looks like that is truly the case for the Hunters.
Per the official Overwatch League announcement, the Hunters are still contemplating their future direction of their team. Admittedly this is pretty vague and odd wording for a franchised team that is set to start their new season in just a week’s time. The team is either playing this season or they are not. A team joining half way through the year is insanely unprecedented and opens the door for plenty of “competitive integrity” discussions going forward. The Hunters are more likely than not missing the 2023 season, based on the timing of this communication from the league.
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Fans watching APAC won’t be without a full roster of teams however. The six remaining Overwatch League will battle against six top Contenders teams from Contenders Korea, Contenders Asia-Pacific, and Contenders Australia. The Spring Open will have these Contenders teams face-off in a double elimination style bracket. The top teams will punch their ticket to the Spring Stage Knockout stage, while the OWL teams will earn their spot in the Spring Stage Qualifiers.
Featured image courtesy of the Overwatch League
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