When Does the Overwatch League Start Again

The Overwatch League has announced the matchups for the opening calendar week of the Overwatch League 2022 schedule. We now have a starting date of May v, afterwards in the year than the league'southward usual starting appointment, and 20 matchups to look forward to over four days. We also know the flavour will be broken up into 4 stages: the Kickoff Clash, Midseason Madness, Summer Showdown and the Countdown Cup.

Teams are even so split up into an East and West Division like they were concluding year, and the Commencement Clash and Summer Showdown are planned to be regional tournaments, while the other two are meant to involve cross-regional play. The Countdown Cup is also intended to be a play-in tournament for the playoffs. One change in the regional distribution of teams is that the New York Excelsior are returning to New York and the West Region after spending concluding season in Korea and the Eastward Region. For 2022, at that place volition be 13 teams in the West and vii in the East.

For the league'south fifth season, fans can also look forward to seeing teams compete 5v5 on an early build of Overwatch 2.

And so far, only the opening week schedule has been released and can be seen below. It's unclear when the remainder of the 2022 season schedule will be released.

Opening week schedule

Thursday, May v

• 3 p.k. ET: Los Angeles Gladiators vs. New York Excelsior
• 4:30 p.thousand. ET: Paris Eternal vs. San Francisco Shock
• 6 p.k. ET: Atlanta Reign vs. Florida Mayhem

Friday, May 6

• five a.m. ET: Shanghai Dragons vs. Philadelphia Fusion
• 6:30 a.m. ET: Chengdu Hunters vs. Guangzhou Charge
• three p.thou. ET: Vancouver Titans vs. Boston Uprising
• 4:30 p.m. ET: San Francisco Shock vs. London Spitfire
• vi p.m. ET: Houston Outlaws vs. Dallas Fuel

Sat, May seven

• 5 a.1000. ET: Chengdu Hunters vs. Shanghai Dragons
• half-dozen:thirty a.m. ET: Seoul Dynasty vs. Philadelphia Fusion
• 8 a.m. ET: Los Angeles Valiant vs. Hangzhou Spark
• 3 p.m. ET: Washington Justice vs. Toronto Defiant
• 4:30 p.m. ET: New York Excelsior vs. Atlanta Reign
• six p.m. ET: Los Angeles Gladiators vs. Boston Insurgence

Sunday, May eight

• 5 a.yard. ET: Guangzhou Charge vs. Los Angeles Valiant
• half-dozen:xxx a.1000. ET: Hangzhou Spark vs. Seoul Dynasty
• 3 p.m. ET: Vancouver Titans vs. London Spitfire
• 4:xxx p.one thousand. ET: Florida Commotion vs. Paris Eternal
• 6 p.one thousand. ET: Dallas Fuel vs. Washington Justice
• 7:xxx p.thousand. ET: Houston Outlaws vs. Toronto Defiant

Five matches to watch

Los Angeles Gladiators vs. New York Excelsior

Photo credit: Overwatch League

This friction match kicks off the season and will feature the return of NYXL to the West Region and one-time Overwatch prodigy and former VALORANT histrion Patiphan to the Overwatch League. The Gladiators likewise have another former VALORANT player in ANS. Both ANS and Patiphan will be on DPS roles, but if y'all're looking for some excellent tank play, the Gladiators have i of the nearly experienced tank players in the league in Indy "Space" Halpern. NYXL have a completely new roster for 2022, so this will be our offset expect at how the new squad plays together.

Houston Outlaws vs. Dallas Fuel

Photo credit: Overwatch League

The Boxing for Texas is ever a fun matchup because of the rivalry between these two teams. The Dallas Fuel were the all-time team in the West most of final year and the roster remains relatively unchanged, then they should be potent contenders in one case again. The Outlaws were a adequately good squad last year, only they accept leveled up this yr with the add-on of 2021 Rookie of the Yr Pelican. Oh, and this matchup is set to take place in-person, according to a tweet from the Houston Outlaws. Giddyup.

Chengdu Hunters vs. Shanghai Dragons

Photo credit: Overwatch League

The Shanghai Dragons were the 2021 champions, and the Chengdu Hunters were one of the all-time teams in the East Region terminal year. The Dragons merely added one new role player, and the Hunters added two and then both rosters are largely the same. This will be a good exam to see whether the Dragons tin be just as dominant this year every bit they were in 2021.

New York Excelsior vs. Atlanta Reign

Photo credit: Overwatch League

The Atlanta Reign had a potent end in 2021 as the runners-up to the Shanghai Dragons in the OWL thousand finals. They lost 3 players in the offseason to Texas teams, including the 2021 Rookie of the Yr, simply added some new, young talent. One of those new additions, 17-year-sometime Benjamin "UltraViolet" David, is currently beneath the OWL's age limit, merely volition exist 18 by the fourth dimension the season starts. Equally mentioned previously, NYXL are rejoining the West Region, merely this game is more than virtually seeing how good the Reign are this yr with a revamped roster.

Los Angeles Gladiators vs. Boston Uprising

Photo credit: Overwatch League

The Gladiators should be adept again this yr, then this game is more about seeing whether the Insurgence accept taken another step forrard in 2022. They have usually been near the lesser of the standings but improved last year and made some fundamental additions in the offseason. The biggest improver was Nam-joo "Striker" Kwon. The DPS player was a two-time champion with the San Francisco Shock. With the league moving to 5v5 with a greater priority placed on the DPS part, calculation a star DPS thespian can brand a big impact for a team this year.

Pb photo credit: Overwatch League

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Source: https://nerdstreet.com/news/2022/2/overwatch-league-2022-schedule-and-matches-to-watch