Nexon and Blizzard are joining forces in earnest to expand the domestic Overwatch esports ecosystem. Building on the top-tier competitive scene currently centered around OWCS Korea and the Overwatch World Cup (OWWC), the plan is to establish a grassroots esports system encompassing youth, college students, PC bang players, and military personnel, creating a long-term pipeline for new players to advance to top-level competition.

During the esports session at "Overwatch Day" held in Busan on August 23, Fernando, Head of Overwatch Esports, and Kim Se-hwan, Planning Lead of Nexon's Branding Team, took the stage to outline the future direction of esports operations in South Korea. Blizzard detailed its current global competitive ecosystem, while Nexon revealed its plans for new grassroots tournaments to be established in Korea following its service transition.

Blizzard described the Overwatch esports ecosystem through three key pillars: OWCS, collegiate leagues, and the Overwatch World Cup. OWCS is the premier global circuit where teams worldwide compete, while collegiate leagues provide a stage for students to gain competitive experience while continuing their studies. The Overwatch World Cup brings together players from each region to represent their nations on a single global stage.

Blizzard particularly highlighted Korea as one of the most competitive regions in Overwatch esports. In Korea, OWCS Korea runs year-round, allowing various teams to enter the competitive stage through partner programs or open tournaments. Blizzard explained that alongside this top-tier competitive structure, Nexon will invest in the grassroots scene to enable new players to experience esports from an earlier stage.

Nexon's core vision is "integrating esports into everyday life." Planning Lead Kim Se-hwan stated that Nexon will establish an ongoing, sustainable esports system covering a gamer's entire lifecycle—starting with youth and college students, extending to PC bang users and military personnel. The plan aims to make esports accessible to more players, giving them direct opportunities to participate and gain competitive experience.

The first initiative being prepared is the youth tournament. Nexon aims to build a nationwide, continuously operated youth league, designing a format that includes online qualifiers and an eight-team main bracket. The company plans to host a pilot tournament in 2026 to identify areas for operational improvement, using those insights to officially launch the league in 2027. Preparations are underway to hold the first tournament between November and December this year.

A competitive circuit for collegiate players is also being established. While structured similarly to the youth tournament, Nexon is also considering long-term plans to expand through international exhibition matches with existing overseas collegiate esports competitions. The collegiate tournament likewise aims to undergo pilot operations in the second half of this year before evolving into a structured tournament by 2027.

Nexon is utilizing PC bangs as an easily accessible entry point. Collaborating with PC bang franchises, Nexon is preparing open tournaments across key hub locations nationwide. Starting on a limited scale as a pilot run this year, discussions are ongoing to hold events in approximately 15 provinces and major cities in October. The vision is to later integrate sponsorships and expand the program so participating players can receive various benefits.

Beyond direct participation tournaments, Nexon is moving to regularize influencer tournaments to expand viewable content. This year, the company plans to hold one tournament each via SOOP and Chzzk, with discussions currently targeting September for the SOOP tournament and October for Chzzk. Starting in 2027, the goal is to establish a seasonal format that players can enjoy on a regular basis.

Nexon is also pursuing esports tournaments for military personnel. Although official discussions with relevant agencies have yet to begin, Nexon aims to engage in step-by-step consultations with related organizations to launch the tournament in 2027, hoping participation can offer fresh vitality and a sense of belonging during military service.

The ultimate structure envisioned by Nexon and Blizzard avoids treating each tournament as an isolated event. Instead, the goal is to build a pipeline where players who first experience competition in daily life—through youth, collegiate, or PC bang events—can progress to higher-level competitions, ultimately leading into OWCS Korea and the Overwatch World Cup. Nexon emphasized that it will solidify this structure so that grassroots competitive experience can produce professional players in the long run.