The Toronto Defiant are back in the Overwatch universe.
OverActive Media announced Wednesday that it will enter the new Overwatch Champion Series (OWCS) with a team that “will operate as the Toronto Defiant, OverActive’s celebrated team that launched in 2019, for the 2024 season.”
Toronto Defiant exited the Overwatch League in November, shortly before that league folded. In January, publisher Blizzard Entertainment announced a partnership with tournament organizer ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) to launch the OWCS in 2024.
“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,” said Adam Adamou, co-founder and CEO of OverActive Media.
“Our history with the Overwatch League, combined with our deep understanding of our fan community, positions us uniquely to embrace this opportunity. We are going in with the vision to win the world championship and solidify our legacy in the esports world.”
Toronto Defiant — which will be based out of OverActive Media’s esports facility in downtown Toronto — also announced Wednesday via social media that its roster for the 2024 season consists of Kamden “Sugarfree” Hijada, Diego “Vega” Moran and Rupal “Rupal” Zaman as well as South Koreans Tae-min “MER1T” Choi and Jeong-wan “Someone” Ham.
Time to make it official! We are SO BACK. Introducing your Toronto Defiant OWCS roster ??
??? @someone0424
?? @MER1T_ow
?? @sugarfreeOW
?? @rupalzaman
?? @VegaOverwatch #RiseTogether | #OWCS pic.twitter.com/7ELhuwnlXc— Toronto Defiant (@TorontoDefiant) February 7, 2024
The newly formed OWCS will operate in North America, Asia and the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa). EFG will oversee North America and EMEA, and Korean tournament organizer WDG will be in charge of Asia.
The NA/EMEA format calls for three weeks of qualifiers before a main event with an eight-team, double-elimination bracket structure. In-person events are scheduled for DreamHack Dallas (May 31-June 2) and DreamHack Stockholm (Nov. 22-24).
–Field Level Media
