Toronto Defiant returns for Overwatch Champions Series

Toronto Defiantowned by OverActive Mediahas announced its entry into the newly created Overwatch Champions Series. for the 2024 season. The organization, formerly a franchise of the defunct Overwatch League, will announce its roster soon. Its team and operations will continue to be based in Toronto, Canada.

Toronto Defiant has been part of the Overwatch ecosystem since 2019 as part of the first wave of expansion teams. During its history, the team held mostly mid-table positions in the league and made the playoffs twice, in 2020 and 2022.

The Overwatch League officially closed at the end of 2023, leaving questions about the future of the title’s esports ecosystem. Since then, ESL FACEIT Group has partnered with Blizzard, developer of Overwatch, to launch the Overwatch Champions Series.which will host a global tournament series in 2024. It will be present at DreamHack events and will receive full support from FACEIT, enabling matchmaking and rankings.

Toronto Defiant was one of the first teams to publicly exit the suppressed Overwatch League, with. OverActive Media accepting payment from Activision Blizzard. in November 2023 and withdrawing from the competition. Interestingly, OverActive has opted to keep its Toronto Defiant brand for the ecosystem., this was previously created only for the Overwatch League.

Looking ahead to the 2024 season, little is known about other teams competing in the OWCS, but Blizzard did announce a detailed schedule of LAN events and regional qualifiers starting with EMEA and North American Phase 1 group stages in early March 2024. The first Major will take place at DreamHack Dallas, and the finals at DreamHack Stockholm.

We are excited to enter the Overwatch Champions Series and are fully committed to showcasing our team’s talent to the global community. The OWCS is a testament to the evolving nature of eSports, and we are ready to make our mark in this new chapter. Our history with the Overwatch League, combined with our deep understanding of our fan community, puts us in a unique position to take advantage of this opportunity. We go in with a vision to win the world championship and solidify our legacy in the world of esports.

Adam Adamou, co-founder and CEO, OverActive Media