On August 12, Nexon officially took over domestic service operations for Blizzard's Overwatch. To mark the occasion, Nexon hosted an in-house esports tournament titled the 'Overwatch Nexon Cup,' holding its semifinals and finals on September 2.
The event was broadcast live from the LED Studio on the 3rd floor of Nexon headquarters, formatted like a professional esports tournament and streamed online to employees via Nexon Live. A total of 425 employees across 85 teams competed in the online qualifiers held from August 12 to 26, with four teams advancing to the semifinals.
Nexon stated that alongside the tournament, interactive activity booths and cheering programs were organized, allowing many employees to easily watch and participate in the esports competition. Below is the coverage from the Overwatch Nexon Cup semifinals and finals, as shared on Nexon Tag.
"Looking for one Overwatch Damage player."
At first glance, it looks like a post on a gaming community forum, but it was actually posted on Nexon's internal bulletin board. As posts recruiting teammates for Nexon's internal tournament, the 'Overwatch Nexon Cup,' began appearing one after another, the internal bulletin board transformed into a mini gaming community. Posts searching for teammates were met with applications in the comments, alongside encouraging words from colleagues. And finally, on September 2, the semifinals and finals of the Overwatch Nexon Cup took place in the LED Studio on the 3rd floor of Nexon headquarters.
When Nexon Holds an Internal Esports Tournament
At Nexon, a culture has naturally taken root where employees gather to celebrate and mark special milestones for the games the company operates.
Last April, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of 'The Kingdom of the Winds', employees gathered to play the game and share memories. Decorated with the 30th-anniversary slogan, "Thirty Years of Kingdom, Our Unchanging Spirit," the Nexon building was transformed into the in-game Buyeo Castle, allowing employees to experience the virtual world in real life.
In June, Nexon hosted an employee festival themed around 'MapleStory', titled 'NEXON iN Maple Island'. To help employees create unforgettable memories with their colleagues, Nexon took the bold step of renting out the entirety of Lotte World. On-site productions and events infused with the MapleStory universe gave employees an immersive experience, making them feel like the main characters of a gaming festival.
The Overwatch Nexon Cup was also planned as an extension of this dynamic corporate culture.
Ahead of the main matches, various events were prepared to cheer on Overwatch's new journey together. '1994 Hall,' a multipurpose venue named after the year the company was founded, served as another arena filled with enthusiastic cheering and participation. Artwork from drawing shows revealed at the 'Overwatch Day' fan event in Busan last month was on display, and numerous employees gathered before the matches began, elevating the festive atmosphere.
On site, a real-time quiz event was held for employees watching the Nexon Live stream, while the 'Unpowered Shooting Game' interactive area utilizing suction-cup dart equipment saw a steady stream of visitors. Participants took aim at targets and competed as if they were Overwatch heroes themselves.
The 'Cheerful Event,' where employees wrote their own cheering messages on signs ("cheerfuls"), was also well received. Witty messages like "Gave up lunch to cheer" and "Yay for Lee Tae-yang winning~" were captured on the broadcast stream, and audience members cheered enthusiastically while waving their signs whenever players pulled off great plays.
The event that attracted the most attention was undoubtedly the 'First Place Team Treats!' event. It was a pledge event where, once the final champion was decided, cold ice cream would be provided to all employees of that team's legal entity under the team's name. As a result, spectators watched their favorite teams compete with even greater anticipation, and excitement over 'which entity will get ice cream' filled the venue throughout the tournament.
A Way to Celebrate Overwatch's New Journey
There was another reason this tournament was particularly special. Through a partnership with Blizzard Entertainment this year, Nexon assumed domestic PC service operations for Overwatch in South Korea. A new journey for Korean players had begun, and the Overwatch Nexon Cup served as a celebration of that fresh start.
The online qualifiers, held over two weeks from August 12 to 26, demonstrated intense passion, with 85 teams and 425 employees participating. Only four teams survived the fierce competition to finally reach the semifinals.
First, Nexon Korea's 'Eojjaapi Usumgeun Sangdaetim' (The Opponent Will Win Anyway) team featured Damage players Ji Jeong-geun and Jeong Il-woo, Tank Cho Sang-yeop, and Support players Jeong Hye-seon and Kim Dong-ho. They demonstrated solid overall play, earning praise from the broadcast crew as a "textbook team with well-balanced roles." Nexon Networks' 'Igimyeon Hoesik' (If We Win, Company Dinner) team—comprising Damage players Jeong Se-in and Yang Ji-hoon, Support players Choi Seong-min and Kang Yeon-soo, and Tank Lee Ju-hwan—had a clear objective. Yang Ji-hoon showed strong confidence, stating, "I'll be waiting at the lamb skewer restaurant at 8 PM tonight."
Nexon Korea's 'Opchi Yaho' team included Tank Park Jae-hyeong, Damage players Kim Hyun-jun and Lee Tae-yang, and Support players Kang Su-bin and Ku Gyeong-rok. They set a bold goal of winning the tournament undefeated without dropping a single set. Kim Hyun-jun's statement, "Put the crosshair on their head and click left-click," and Lee Tae-yang's provocative declaration, "Try to beat us if you can," were particularly memorable.
Nexon Korea's 'Suteullimyeon Wrecking Ball' (If Things Go South, Wrecking Ball) team featured Tank Kim Eon, Damage players Son Won-jae and Oh Hyeon-seong, and Support players Ku Hee-jo and Lee Ho-jun. Kim Eon had personally posted on the internal bulletin board during the recruitment period to assemble the team. His candid and hilarious post—asking for "any position," noting "Diamond or higher is preferred, but anyone willing to practice actively is welcome," and adding "anyone needing gameplay rehabilitation is welcome (please come)"—became a hot topic on the board.
Ku Hee-jo shared a behind-the-scenes story about the team's formation, saying, "I searched for high-tier players directly on the player registration roster, sent them DMs, briefed them on hero pools, and contacted each person individually." He added a funny anecdote that, in the process, he ended up becoming the lowest-ranked player on the team.
In the first semifinal match, 'Igimyeon Hoesik' defeated 'Eojjaapi Usumgeun Sangdaetim' to secure the first spot in the finals. In the second semifinal match, 'Suteullimyeon Wrecking Ball' pulled off a dramatic comeback victory against 'Opchi Yaho', who had been showing overwhelming momentum, to advance to the final stage.
The Overwatch Nexon Cup Finals: Where Everyone Was the Main Character
A tight contest was predicted even before the grand finals began. As the two teams met after thoroughly assessing each other's strength and strategies during the semifinals, the broadcast talent remarked, "It will be an all-time classic match where it wouldn't be surprising regardless of who wins." Indeed, both teams engaged in intense psychological warfare fitting for a grand final, meticulously targeting each other's strengths and weaknesses starting from the draft phase.* (*Draft: The process before each set where both teams ban specific heroes from being used and then pick their desired heroes.)
Suteullimyeon Wrecking Ball became the inaugural champion of the 2026 Overwatch Nexon Cup with a flawless performance, winning 3-0 without dropping a single set. The broadcast crew picked player Son Won-jae, who put on an impressive performance throughout the tournament playing Vendetta, and Tank player Kim Eon, who silently held down the core of the team, as the key heroes of the day's match.
Although it was an internal amateur competition, the players actively utilized feedback from pro players and commentators to prepare for their matches. Those accumulated minor details came together to create a high level of performance on the grand finals stage.
The atmosphere of the Overwatch Nexon Cup was vividly felt in the Nexon Live chat as well.
"It feels really great that a healthy and enjoyable esports culture is taking root within the company thanks to the Overwatch Nexon Cup. I hope all participating teams blew off their work stress and enjoyed themselves!"
"The weather has been super hot lately and days have been busy with work, but thanks to the dopamine-filled Overwatch Nexon Cup, every day has been fun and happy."
"Wait, is this really an internal company event? The scale and production quality are amazing. I'm blown away by the Welfare Team's planning and execution skills, which keep getting better day by day!"
For the winning team's players as well, this tournament meant much more than just a competition.
Son Won-jae recalled their first meeting, saying, "Having only heard each other's voices daily during Discord briefings, meeting offline for the first time felt a bit awkward. We were more familiar with each other's handles than our real names." Lee Ho-jun also shared his thoughts, stating, "Since joining the company last December, I didn't have many opportunities to interact with colleagues from other job roles. Preparing for and enjoying the tournament alongside such great people through the Overwatch Nexon Cup was very meaningful."
Behind the Overwatch Nexon Cup, which brought together 425 participants and numerous staff members, were the efforts of the Welfare Team, Video Team, and Branding Team. The Welfare Team handled everything from player registrations to tournament brackets and on-site events, while the Video and Branding Teams transformed the LED Studio to replicate a real esports arena, meticulously crafting the broadcast display and live stage effects. Thanks to their efforts, participants could enjoy the matches as players, and employees could experience them as fans, with vivid immersion.
From the moment teammates were recruited on the internal bulletin board to writing messages of encouragement and gathering in front of monitors to watch the games, the Overwatch Nexon Cup was a true festival where game-loving colleagues gathered to cheer each other on and have fun together.
A day that remained as a memory more valuable than a trophy for some, and an opportunity to build new cross-departmental connections for others. Though the fierce competition has come to an end, the cheers that filled the arena and the bonds formed will surely linger throughout Nexon as a pleasant afterglow for a long time to come.
