Overwatch Seasons Official Rulebook
Season 5
Standard Division
Open Division
STANDARD DIVISION
Section 1: Format
1.01 Season Length: The season will span thirteen (13) weeks, beginning January 22nd. This includes a ten (10) week regular season and a three (3) week playoffs period, beginning April 1st.
1.02. Regular Season Format: The first four (4) weeks will contain eight (8) rounds of “first to two” Swiss bracket play, followed by five (5) weeks of a “first to three” Round Robin Group Stage with a break week between stages.
1.03 Game Format:
1.03.01 All games in a series will be played in a standard competitive format (including a 1-2-2 role lock). The role lock will be on a per-map basis with players having the option of switching between registered roles between maps.
1.03.01 The home team for each match will be the team listed on the left side of the fixtures.
1.03.02 The home team for each match will choose the first map.
1.03.03 The loser of each game will choose the map for the following game. In the event of a tie, the team which lost the previous map will choose the next map. The winner of each map has the option to choose whether to attack or defend first.
1.03.04 Captains or casters will create all lobbies. The home team will play as Team 1 (on the left) and the away team will play as Team 2 (on the right).
1.03.05 Rules will be as follows:
Standard Competitive Preset
Kill cam Disabled
Auto-Pause on Disconnect Enabled
Preset for this is 8MJDB
1.04 Map Pool: The OWS will use the following map pool.
Control: Lijiang Tower, Nepal, Ilios
Escort: Dorado, Rialto, Junkertown
Flashpoint: New Junk City, Suravasa
Hybrid: King's Row, Blizzard World, Hollywood
Push: Colosseo, Esperança, New Queen Street
1.05 For the Swiss Stage maps will be played in the order of Flashpoint, Push, then Control.
1.05.01 Beginning Week 6, maps for the Round Robin Stage will be played in the order of Control, Escort, Flashpoint, Hybrid, then Push, repeating this order until one team is victorious.
1.05.02 Maps may not be replayed at any point during the series unless instructed by OWS staff for disciplinary reasons.
1.06 Hero Bans: The OWS will not utilize hero bans unless otherwise specified, which will be announced via Discord.
1.06.01 The OWS will put a ban in place if there is an active glitch/bug with a hero making gameplay unfair.
1.06.02 As new heroes are released throughout the course of Overwatch 2, heroes will remain unplayable in OWS matches until they are available in Competitive Play.
1.07 Swiss Stage Schedule: Each Swiss Round’s matchups will be available on the Sunday & Thursday nights of each week.
1.07.01 Each week’s first round will be played at 9:00 PM EST on Thursday, with the second round played at 9:00 PM EST on Sunday.
1.07.02 Matches may be scheduled and played earlier, but matches not completed or in progress by 10:30 PM EST on either match day will be rendered forfeit.
1.08 Round Robin Stage Schedule: The Round Robin schedule will be available at the beginning of the stage. On the Friday before each week, fixtures will be posted with reminders to teams about scheduling, in a channel visible to all players.
1.08.01 All points of contact are required to obtain roles within the discord corresponding to their typical availability.
1.08.01.01 Matches will be scheduled at 9PM EST on the Sunday of the corresponding week by default. However, matches may be rescheduled for any time within the 5 week Round Robin Stage.
1.08.02 Matches not being played on the default day and time should be scheduled within the corresponding discord channel by Monday at 11:59 PM EST. The first failure to do so will result in warning, reoccurrences will result in forfeit for the parties at fault.
1.08.03 Each week will begin on Monday at 12:00 AM ET and end on Sunday at 11:59 PM ET.
1.08.04 Each match must be scheduled as soon as possible. If a team is unable to schedule their match, captains must contact a staff member ASAP.
1.08.04.01 Staff may deny a request to postpone a match if communication is not done in a timely manner before the aforementioned deadlines.
1.08.05 In the event of teams not being able to schedule matches, teams will be instructed to play their match during any common availability, based on the roles mentioned in Rule 1.07.01.
1.08.06 Any Round Robin matches not able to be scheduled during their week may be postponed to any following Round Robin week. Swiss Stage matches cannot be postponed.
1.09 Teams will be assigned initial seeds based on average rank. After playing eight (8) rounds of Swiss, Teams will be divided into four (4) divisions of twelve (12) based roughly on standings. Teams will be further divided into two (2) conferences of six (6) and will play their entire conference in a round-robin format.
1.10 Playoff Format:
1.10.01 The three (3) top-ranked teams from each conference will qualify for playoffs, for a total of six (6) teams per division.
1.10.02 Playoffs will be set as a single-elimination bracket, with each top-ranked team gaining a bye to the second round. Each match will be a “first to 3” format, with the exception of the Grand Finals which will be “first to 4”.
1.10.03 The playoffs will use the same map pool as the regular season.
1.10.04 Maps will be played in the order of Control, Escort, Flashpoint, Hybrid, and Push, repeating this order until one team is victorious.
Section 2: Scoring
2.01 Records: Records will be kept of all team's win-loss records as well as the total map differential for each team.
2.02 Standings: Standings for the Round Robin Stage will be based on the win percentage of each team.
2.03 Tie Breakers:
1) Map win percentage
2) Head-to-head match record
3) Head-to-head map record
4) Match records vs. highest-ranked common opponent
5) Repeat step 4 against the next highest-ranked team through all common opponents
6) Tiebreaker Match
2.04 Teams that forfeit two (2) matches in the swiss stage of the tournament will be disqualified.
Section 3: Teams
3.01 Team Size: Each team must consist of no less than five (5) players and no more than twelve (12) players.
3.02 Eligibility: All players on a team must have completed ranked placement for each registered role at least once in the last three (3) competitive seasons.
3.02.01 Players who have played in the Overwatch League, Overwatch Contenders, or have placed in the top sixteen (16) of Open Division, Operation: Dive Party, Pro-Am Qualifiers, or the top four (4) of Calling All Heroes: Challenger Series within the last three (3) years are ineligible to participate.
3.02.02 Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis, but will not be given often.
3.02.03 Teams must have a team average rank of Grandmaster 4 or lower to be eligible for Standard Division.
3.03 Smurfs: Any attempt to introduce a high-level player to a lower-level team through smurfing will result in a ban for the player involved and a review of the team involved. If the team is found to have knowledge of these actions, a team ban will also be issued.
3.04 Sandbagging: Any attempt to intentionally influence final placement during the Swiss Stage via intentional map or match losses will result in a review of the team involved. Discipline may be taken up to the level of a disqualification.
3.04.01 Any attempt to use low ranked players to intentionally bring down average SR will also be considered team sandbagging. Teams that have 5 eligible players that fit role requirements (1-2-2) that average GM4 or above will be investigated and may face disqualification or forced division placement if it occurs during registration.
3.05 Roster Changes: Each team is allowed 3 roster additions per season. All roster changes must be approved by a league staff member. A roster change will be denied if the player violates rank guidelines.
3.05.01 Players added to a roster during the Round Robin Stage may not have exceeded a team’s highest ranked player in the last two (2) seasons.
3.05.02 Roster changes are NOT allowed during the playoffs.
3.05.03 Exceptions to the 3-addition limit may be made on a case-by-case basis, at the discretion of OWS staff.
3.05.04 Roster changes during the first two (2) weeks of the season are uncapped.
3.06 Profiles: Players must keep their profiles public at all times during matches.
3.08 Each player may only be on the active roster of a single team per division, for each role. This does not apply to coaching or managing teams.
3.08.01 Players may only be listed on a single roster at time of registration but may be added after divisions are announced.
3.09 OWS Staff may play on any team they are eligible to do so.
3.09.01 OWS Staff are subject to all rules and may not make any decisions regarding their own team or matches.
3.10 All players, including subs/ringers must be in the OWS Discord’s voice channels during their matches.
3.10.01 Not being in the OWS VC during a match will be considered cheating and the match will be rendered forfeit.
3.10.02 Coaches and subs must remain muted throughout the course of
maps in which they are not playing, even between rounds. Coaching is
allowed on pauses and in the lobby.
3.11 Teams that drop out mid-season will have all of their matches ruled as void,
played or unplayed.
3.11.01 Teams that drop out within the final two (2) weeks of the regular season will have the scores of their completed matches stand as is, with the remaining matches ruled forfeit.
3.11.02 A team that has dropped out but qualifies for playoffs will be
removed, and the next qualifying team will be moved to the bottom
seed.
3.12 All players must have their accounts in good standing with Blizzard.
3.12.01 Players who have their accounts permanently banned must
complete the required three (3) seasons of competitive play before being
eligible for play.
Section 4: Gameplay
4.01 Cheating/Hacking: Cheating through the use of hacks of any form will not be tolerated and will result in a player automatically being banned. A player's team with any knowledge of cheating and hacking may also face discipline up to a season ban.
4.02 Glitches: Any intentional use of glitches with the intent of gaining an advantage can result in a match forfeit. Continued use of glitches can result in a ban. The league will attempt to stay knowledgeable about all current glitches and will keep the community informed of known glitches that can result in discipline.
4.02.01 This rule does not apply to stall spots, such as ones utilized on Doomfist and Lucio.
4.03 Stream Sniping: Any team found to be viewing either official or non-official streams of their ongoing match during active play will forfeit all games in the match. Continued offenses will result in full disqualification.
4.04 Game Chat: All communication rules from the league discord apply to in-game chat.
4.05 Team Size: A team may play with up to five (5) players. If a team only has four (4) available players they may choose to play with four (4) players or forfeit the match. A team may not play with less than four (4) players.
4.06 Substitutes: A team may use any number of substitutes per match provided all subs are on the official roster. Substitutes must occur between maps and both team captains must be aware of the substitute.
4.06.01 If a disconnect happens, the same player must rejoin the map. A different player cannot be substituted mid-map.
4.07 Ringers: A ringer may be used if a team would not otherwise be able to field 5 players for a match in their rostered roles.
4.07.01 Ringers must be acknowledged by both captains and reported to the league prior to the start of a match.
4.07.01.01 Ringer reporting must include the player being replaced, ringer role, ringer battletag, and a screenshot of the ringer’s career profile. Failure to provide all aspects may result in a retroactive forfeit of the match.
4.07.02 OWS players may ring for teams in other divisions, however, they may not be a ringer for any other team within the same division.
4.07.02.01 During playoffs, players eliminated or participating in different brackets may ring for teams within their division, so long as they are eligible as per Rule 4.07.04.
4.07.03 Any single ringer may only be used two (2) times per team. If a ringer is used a third time, they will be added to the team's roster and a roster change will be counted.
4.07.04 Ringers must be ranked in the role they are ringing for in the past 3 seasons and may not have a peak rank higher than the player they are replacing.
4.07.04.01 It is the job of the opposing team’s captain to verify the SR of a team’s ringer. If the ringer is accepted and the conditions outlined within rule 4.04.01.01 are met, the league will not take action for a ringer outside the outlined SR rules.
4.07.04.02 In the event that a team uses a suspected smurf as a ringer, the OWS will conduct a thorough investigation and react according to Rule 3.05.
4.08 Server: All matches will be played on the North American live server.
4.08.01 The home team may choose which region to host the patch on. (Ex: Central, West, etc.)
4.08.02 In the event that two teams from different NA regions meet in playoffs, whichever team chooses the map may also choose the region.
4.09 Timeouts: Each team may take up to two (2) timeouts lasting up to five (5) minutes each for technical difficulties during a match. Any pause lasting more than thirty (30) seconds due to disconnect uses one (1) timeout.
4.10 Forfeits: A team has forfeited a match if a representative for the team can not be reached within ten (10) minutes of the scheduled start time or if a team refuses to play a match at least fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled start time.
4.10.01 Forfeit Scoring: If a team forfeits a match prior to any maps being played, it will be recorded as a 2-0 or 3-0 score depending on the stage. If a forfeit occurs after gameplay has started, the remaining team will have their map wins increased to two (2) or three (3) depending on the stage. Any maps won by the forfeiting team will still count as a win for them.
4.11 Sportsmanship: Any actions by a player or a team that doesn't contribute toward fair, competitive, and enjoyable gameplay will be subject to review for discipline.
4.11.01 When not done excessively, common infractions to this rule (e.g., teabagging, emoting, and minor banter) will not be met with discipline. We’re not Tranquility.
4.11.02 Actions taken outside of official games in an unsportsmanlike manner towards other players will also be subject to discipline.
4.11.03 In most cases, discipline will begin with a warning or mute, and repeated offenses will result in map or match forfeiture. Extreme cases will be disciplined accordingly.
4.12 Spectators: All spectators (with the exception of league-approved casters) must be team locked. Spectators will not be allowed if a match is being cast.
4.13 Reporting: Winning teams must report score via the OWS website.
4.13.01 Failure to report match information after winning will result in a warning for the first time. Reoccurrences will result in forfeiture.
4.13.02 Teams caught intentionally reporting false information will be automatically dealt a forfeit for that match. Recurrence may result in disqualification.
Section 5: Streaming
5.01 League Streams: OWS has the right to stream all matches and league-sponsored events. Participation in the league includes consent for your matches to be streamed by OWS.
5.02 Personal Streams: Players may not stream their match if it is being cast by OWS. Streaming games also broadcasted by OWS, may result in a permanent ban.
5.03 Stream Delay: All streams of official league matches must include a delay of at least two (2) minutes.
5.04 Stream Title: Stream titles must be appropriate and mention the league as a tag (@OWSeasons).
5.05 Stream Overlay: Any stream utilizing an overlay is required to display the OWS logo, which will be provided upon request.
5.06 Blizzard Stream Compliance: As per the tournament license granted by Blizzard, no streams may take place when Overwatch League is live.
Section 6: Prizing
6.01 The OWS will announce the total prize pool for all divisions prior to the start of the season.. Exact allocation per division will be announced with the beginning of the Round Robin Stage.
6.02 Prizing will be awarded only to the team finishing in first place for their given division.
6.03 Prizes must be claimed within seven (7) days of the completion of the recipient's Grand Finals match or all winnings are deemed forfeited.
6.04 Prizes will be paid out via PayPal, to the captain of each respective team.
6.04.01 In the event that the captain is unable to handle such a transaction, another player or team staff may be approved by the captain in their stead.
6.04.02 The OWS is not responsible for the fair division of winnings amongst a team’s players or staff.
6.04.03 OWS Staff are ineligible to receive winnings, even in the event that their team wins.
Overwatch Seasons reserves the right to make any changes to the rules at any given time.
OPEN DIVISION
Section 1: Format
1.01 Season Length: The season will span twelve (12) weeks, beginning January 22nd. This includes a Six (6) week regular season and a five (5) week playoffs period, beginning March 11th. There will be a break week between following the swiss bracket March 4th-10th.
1.02. Regular Season Format: The regular season will consist of six (6) weeks of swiss bracket “first to three” play.
1.03 Game Format:
1.03.01 All games in a series will be played in a standard competitive format (including a 1-2-2 role lock). The role lock will be on a per-map basis with players having the option of switching between registered roles between maps.
1.03.01.a The home team for each match will be the team listed on the left side of the fixtures.
1.03.01.b The home team for each match will choose the first map.
1.03.01.c The loser of each game will choose the map for the following game. In the event of a tie, the team which lost the previous map will choose the next map. The winner of each map has the option to choose whether to attack or defend first.
1.03.01.d Captains or casters will create all lobbies. The home team will play as Team 1 (on the left) and the away team will play as Team 2 (on the right).
1.03.01.e Rules will be as follows:
Standard Competitive Preset
Kill cam Disabled
Auto-Pause on Disconnect Enabled
Preset for this is 8MJDB
1.04 Map Pool: The OWS will use the following map pool.
Control: Lijiang Tower, Nepal, Ilios
Escort: Dorado, Rialto, Junkertown
Flashpoint: New Junk City, Suravasa
Hybrid: King's Row, Blizzard World, Hollywood
Push: Colosseo, Esperança, New Queen Street
1.05 For the Swiss Stage maps will be played in the order of Control, Flashpoint, Push, Escort, then hybrid.
1.05.01 Maps may not be replayed at any point during the series unless instructed by OWS staff for disciplinary reasons.
1.06 Hero Bans: The OWS will not utilize hero bans unless otherwise specified, which will be announced via Discord.
1.06.01 The OWS will put a ban in place if there is an active glitch/bug with a hero making gameplay unfair.
1.06.02 As new heroes are released throughout the course of Overwatch 2, heroes will remain unplayable in OWS matches until they are available in Competitive Play.
1.07 Swiss Stage Schedule: Each Swiss Round’s matchups will be available on the Sunday night of each week.
1.07.01 Each week’s match will be played at 8:00 PM EST on Saturday.
1.07.02 Matches may be scheduled and played earlier, but matches not completed or in progress by 10:30 PM EST on Sunday will be rendered forfeit.
1.08 Teams will be assigned initial seeds based on average rank. After playing six (6) rounds of Swiss, the top 16 teams in rank will be seeding accordingly for playoffs.
1.09 Playoff Format:
1.09.01 The sixteen (16) top-ranked teams from Swiss will qualify for playoffs
1.09.02 Playoffs will be set as a double-elimination bracket using a first to 4 format.
1.09.03 The playoffs will use the same map pool as the regular season.
1.09.04 Maps will be played in the order of Control, Escort, Flashpoint, Hybrid, and Push, repeating this order until one team is victorious.
Section 2: Scoring
2.01 Records: Records will be kept of all team's win-loss records as well as the total map differential for each team.
2.02 Standings: Standings will be determined using a swiss bracket system with tie breakers being determined by the computer program.
Section 3: Teams
3.01 Team Size: Each team must consist of no less than five (5) players and no more than twelve (12) players.
3.02 Any team may sign up for Open Division, however we anticipate high level play and recommend Open Division for teams 4.2k+ (GM3+).
3.03 Eligibility: All players on a team must have completed ranked placement for each registered role at least once in the last three (3) competitive seasons.
3.03.01 Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis, but will not be given often.
3.04 Smurfs: Any attempt to introduce a high-level player to a lower-level team through smurfing will result in a ban for the player involved and a review of the team involved. If the team is found to have knowledge of these actions, a team ban will also be issued.
3.05 Sandbagging: Any attempt to intentionally influence final placement during the Swiss Stage via intentional map or match losses will result in a review of the team involved. Discipline may be taken up to the level of a disqualification.
3.06 Roster Changes: Each team is allowed 3 roster additions per season. All roster changes must be approved by a league staff member. A roster change will be denied if the player violates rank guidelines.
3.06.01 Players added to a roster during the Swiss Stage may not have exceeded a team’s highest ranked player in the last two (2) seasons.
3.06.02 Roster changes are NOT allowed during the playoffs.
3.06.03 Exceptions to the 3-addition limit may be made on a case-by-case basis, at the discretion of OWS staff.
3.06.04 Roster changes during the first two (2) weeks of the season are uncapped.
3.07 Profiles: Players must keep their profiles public at all times during matches.
3.08 Players are only eligible to play on one (1) team registered in Open Division, regardless of role and/or rank. If eligible, players registered in Open Division may also play in Standard Division.
3.08 OWS Staff may play on any team they are eligible to do so.
3.08.01 OWS Staff are subject to all rules and may not make any decisions regarding their own team or matches.
3.09 All players, including subs/ringers must be in the OWS Discord’s voice channels during their matches.
3.09.01 Not being in the OWS VC during a match will be considered cheating and the match will be rendered forfeit.
3.09.02 Coaches and subs must remain muted throughout the course of
maps in which they are not playing, even between rounds. Coaching is
allowed on pauses and in the lobby.
3.10 Teams that drop out mid-season will have all of their matches ruled as void,
played or unplayed.
3.10.01 Teams that drop out within the final two (2) weeks of the regular season will have the scores of their completed matches stand as is, with the remaining matches ruled forfeit.
3.10.02 A team that has dropped out but qualifies for playoffs will be
removed, and the next qualifying team will be moved to the bottom
seed.
3.11 All players must have their accounts in good standing with Blizzard.
3.11.01 Players who have their accounts permanently banned must
complete the required three (3) seasons of competitive play before being
eligible for play.
Section 4: Gameplay
4.01 Cheating/Hacking: Cheating through the use of hacks of any form will not be tolerated and will result in a player automatically being banned. A player's team with any knowledge of cheating and hacking may also face discipline up to a season ban.
4.02 Glitches: Any intentional use of glitches with the intent of gaining an advantage can result in a match forfeit. Continued use of glitches can result in a ban. The league will attempt to stay knowledgeable about all current glitches and will keep the community informed of known glitches that can result in discipline.
4.02.01 This rule does not apply to stall spots, such as ones utilized on Doomfist and Lucio.
4.03 Stream Sniping: Any team found to be viewing either official or non-official streams of their ongoing match during active play will forfeit all games in the match. Continued offenses will result in full disqualification.
4.04 Game Chat: All communication rules from the league discord apply to in-game chat.
4.05 Team Size: A team may play with up to five (5) players. If a team only has four (4) available players they may choose to play with four (4) players or forfeit the match. A team may not play with less than four (4) players.
4.06 Substitutes: A team may use any number of substitutes per match provided all subs are on the official roster. Substitutes must occur between maps and both team captains must be aware of the substitute.
4.06.01 If a disconnect happens, the same player must rejoin the map. A different player cannot be substituted mid-map.
4.07 Ringers: A ringer may be used if a team would not otherwise be able to field 5 players for a match in their rostered roles.
4.07.01 Ringers must be acknowledged by both captains and reported to the league prior to the start of a match.
4.07.01.01 Ringer reporting must include the player being replaced, ringer role, ringer battletag, a screenshot of the ringer’s career profile, and a screenshot showing the other captains confirmation. Failure to provide all aspects may result in a retroactive forfeit of the match.
4.07.02 OWS players may ring for teams in other divisions, however, they may not be a ringer for any other team within the same division.
4.07.02.01 During playoffs, players eliminated or participating in different brackets may ring for teams within their division, so long as they are eligible as per Rule 4.07.04.
4.07.03 Any single ringer may only be used two (2) times per team. If a ringer is used a third time, they will be added to the team's roster and a roster change will be counted.
4.07.04 Ringers must be ranked in the role they are ringing for in the past 3 seasons and may not have a peak rank higher than the player they are replacing. Ringers playing for a player ranked Grandmaster 1 are exempt from needing to be placed.
4.07.04.01 It is the job of the opposing team’s captain to verify the SR of a team’s ringer. If the ringer is accepted and the conditions outlined within rule 4.04.01.01 are met, the league will not take action for a ringer outside the outlined SR rules.
4.07.04.02 In the event that a team uses a suspected smurf as a ringer, the OWS will conduct a thorough investigation and react according to Rule 3.05.
4.08 Server: All matches will be played on the North American live server.
4.08.01 The home team may choose which region to host the patch on. (Ex: Central, West, etc.)
4.08.02 In the event that two teams from different NA regions meet in playoffs, whichever team chooses the map may also choose the region.
4.09 Timeouts: Each team may take up to two (2) timeouts lasting up to five (5) minutes each for technical difficulties during a match. Any pause lasting more than thirty (30) seconds due to disconnect uses one (1) timeout.
4.10 Forfeits: A team has forfeited a match if a representative for the team can not be reached within ten (10) minutes of the scheduled start time or if a team refuses to play a match at least fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled start time.
4.10.01 Forfeit Scoring: If a team forfeits a match prior to any maps being played, it will be recorded as a 3-0 score. If a forfeit occurs after gameplay has started, the remaining team will have their map wins increased to three (3). Any maps won by the forfeiting team will still count as a win for them.
4.11 Sportsmanship: Any actions by a player or a team that doesn't contribute toward fair, competitive, and enjoyable gameplay will be subject to review for discipline.
4.11.01 When not done excessively, common infractions to this rule (e.g., teabagging, emoting, and minor banter) will not be met with discipline. We’re not Tranquility.
4.11.02 Actions taken outside of official games in an unsportsmanlike manner towards other players will also be subject to discipline.
4.11.03 In most cases, discipline will begin with a warning or mute, and repeated offenses will result in map or match forfeiture. Extreme cases will be disciplined accordingly.
4.12 Spectators: All spectators (with the exception of league-approved casters) must be team locked. Spectators will not be allowed if a match is being cast.
4.13 Reporting: Winning teams must report scores via the OWS website.
4.13.01 Failure to report match information after winning will result in a warning for the first time. Reoccurrences will result in forfeiture.
4.13.02 Teams caught intentionally reporting false information will be automatically dealt a forfeit for that match. Recurrence may result in disqualification.
Section 5: Streaming
5.01 League Streams: OWS has the right to stream all matches and league-sponsored events. Participation in the league includes consent for your matches to be streamed by OWS.
5.02 Personal Streams: Players may not stream their match if it is being cast by OWS. Streaming games also broadcasted by OWS, may result in a permanent ban.
5.03 Stream Delay: All streams of official league matches must include a delay of at least two (2) minutes.
5.04 Stream Title: Stream titles must be appropriate and mention the league as a tag (@OWSeasons).
5.05 Stream Overlay: Any stream utilizing an overlay is required to display the OWS logo, which will be provided upon request.
5.06 Blizzard Stream Compliance: As per the tournament license granted by Blizzard, no streams may take place when Overwatch League is live.
Section 6: Prizing
6.01 The OWS Open Division prize pool will be announced prior to the start of the season.
6.02 Prize pool distribution will be announced prior to the end of the Swiss bracket.
6.03 Prizes must be claimed within seven (7) days of the completion of the recipient's Grand Finals match or all winnings are deemed forfeited.
6.04 Prizes will be paid out via PayPal, to the captain of each respective team.
6.04.01 In the event that the captain is unable to handle such a transaction, another player or team staff may be approved by the captain in their stead.
6.04.02 The OWS is not responsible for the fair division of winnings amongst a team’s players or staff.
6.04.03 OWS Staff are ineligible to receive winnings, even in the event that their team wins.