US technology companies HP and Intel have reached agreements with Blizzard Entertainment, a division of US video game developer Activision Blizzard, to sponsor the new Overwatch League esports competition.
Both companies have agreed multi-year deals, with Intel’s partnership also set to cover future Overwatch competitive events in addition to the Overwatch League. HP and Intel become the first companies to sponsor the competition, which will launch in 2018.
As part of the agreements, players will be equipped with state-of-the-art gaming hardware from both HP and Intel. The former’s Omen by HP gaming PCs and displays will also be used exclusively for Overwatch League games, with PCs powered by Intel Core i7 processors.
Pete Vlastellica, president and chief executive of Blizzard Entertainment’s Major League Gaming division, said: “Multi-year collaborations such as this illustrate the momentum behind the Overwatch League as well as a long-term commitment by us and our partners in what we see as the future of esports.”
The inaugural season of the Overwatch League begins on January 10 and runs until June, with playoffs and finals scheduled for July. Pre-season events will begin on December 6. All pre-season and regular-season games will take place at the new Blizzard Arena Los Angeles venue.