By Blizzard Entertainment
(MOST) ROADS LEAD TO PHILLY
There are several paths a team can take to get to the 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals. For starters, the regular-season Atlantic and Pacific division champions will automatically qualify into an eight-team double-elimination bracket. The next-best four teams by record, regardless of division, will also qualify. The 7th-through-12th place teams have a chance to qualify for the two remaining playoffs slots via a play-in tournament. Heading into Stage 4, only two teams have been eliminated from postseason contention—the other 18 will continue to battle for position in the league standings over the next five weeks.
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
Play-ins will be single elimination, with all matches being first-to-four maps. In all play-in matches, the higher seeded team selects the first map and the loser of each subsequent map picks from there.
All matches will be live and on demand on overwatchleague.com, the Overwatch League app, and our Twitch channel. Additional broadcast info noted below for each match.
Friday, August 30
- 9th seed vs. 12th seed—6 p.m. PDT (Disney XD)
- 10th seed vs. 11th seed—9 p.m. PDT (Disney XD)
Saturday, August 31
- 7th seed vs. lower-seed winner from Friday—12 p.m. PDT (Disney XD)
- 8th seed vs. higher-seed winner from Friday—3 p.m. PDT (Disney XD)
PLAYOFFS
This is an eight-team double-elimination bracket. All matches are first-to-four maps, with the highest-seeded team selecting the first map and the loser of each subsequent map picking from there.
Thursday, September 5
- Match 1: 1st seed vs. 8th seed—4 p.m. PDT (Disney XD and ESPN News)
- Match 2: 4th seed vs. 5th seed—7 p.m. PDT (ESPN News)
Friday, September 6
- Match 3: 2nd seed vs. 7th seed—4 p.m. PDT (ESPN News)
- Match 4: 3rd seed vs 6th seed—7 p.m. PDT (ESPN News)
Saturday, September 7
- Match 5: Loser of Match 1 vs. Loser of Match 2—6 p.m. PDT (Disney XD)
- Match 6: Loser of Match 3 vs. Loser of Match 4—9 p.m. PDT (ESPN News)
Sunday, September 8
- Match 7: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2—12 p.m. PDT (Disney XD)
- Match 8: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4—3 p.m. PDT (Disney XD)
Thursday, September 12
- Match 9: Loser of Match 8 vs. Winner of Match 5—4 p.m. PDT (Disney XD and ESPN News)
- Match 10: Loser of Match 7 vs. Winner of Match 6—7 p.m. PDT (Disney XD)
Friday, September 13
- Match 12: Winner of Match 7 vs. Winner of Match 8—4 p.m. PDT (Disney XD and ESPN News)
Saturday, September 14
- Match 11: Winner of Match 9 vs. Winner of Match 10—12 p.m. PDT (Disney XD)
Sunday, September 15
- Match 13: Loser of Match 12 vs. Winner of Match 11—12 p.m. PDT (Disney XD)
All play-in and playoffs matches will take place at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles.
GRAND FINALS: WELLS FARGO CENTER, PHILADELPHIA
The two teams that survive the double-elimination bracket will advance to Philly to compete for the 2019 Overwatch League championship. The Grand Finals is also first-to-four maps, with the highest-seeded team selecting the first map, then the loser of each subsequent map picking from there. Click here for more information about the Grand Finals.
Sunday, September 29
- Winner of Match 12 vs. Winner of Match 13—12 p.m. PDT (ABC)
MAKE IT RAIN
Here’s a look at the prize pool for the playoffs:
| Result | Winnings (USD) |
|---|---|
| Championship team | $1.1 million |
| Runner-up | $600,000 |
| 3rd place | $450,000 |
| 4th place | $350,000 |
| 5th and 6th place | $300,000 |
| 7th and 8th place | $200,000 |
So block out those schedules, Overwatch League fans! The playoffs are just around the corner and we can’t wait for you to join us as the story of the 2019 season reaches its epic conclusion. For more information about the Overwatch League, be sure to follow us on Twitter at @overwatchleague, and sign up for our newsletter here.