Earlier in the week, there were multiple reports going around that stemmed from an ESPN story about the struggles the Overwatch Pro Gaming League were facing starting up, including some shady dealings regarding spot placements within the franchise. With the raised fees, no guarantee of placement, and delays in the schedule, many were left wondering if it would ever get off of the ground. As the rumors and concerns continued to grow, Blizzard sent out an official statement regarding the future of this Pro League.

The full statement can be read below:

“We appreciate that there’s a lot of enthusiasm about the Overwatch League, which has translated into months of speculation–including reports circulating unverified and wildly ranging rumors from anonymous sources about purported deal terms, team pricing, and other details. We understand the interest in the rumors, and we feel it’s important to clarify some things for our community.

First, we want to be clear that our ultimate goal is to create an exciting Overwatch esports ecosystem, the pinnacle of which will be the Overwatch League, that’s accessible to a wide audience, sustainable, and rewarding for everyone involved. We’re doing our best to take great care with building this ecosystem, and as with much of what we do, we don’t release information until we’re at a place where it makes sense to do so.

Second, we’d like to dispel any rumors that we’re ignoring endemics. Anyone who knows Blizzard understands how deeply we care about the communities around our games. The league is built upon the best elements of endemic esports programs and traditional sports, and we’re in active discussions with many teams and owners from both worlds because it will take a village to stand up a league with such an unprecedented structure. Those conversations have been going well and there’s a lot of excitement around our ambitious plans.

Finally, it’s important to think twice about statements from unnamed sources, who may try to leverage the media to deliberately spread misinformation as bargaining tactics or for other competitive reasons. We look forward to officially sharing real details about the league and the ecosystem as a whole as we continue the development process. In the meantime we are staying focused on our goal of creating an awesome Overwatch esports experience for players, partners, and fans, and we want to thank everyone for their continued support.”

Blizzard has always been incredibly active within their communities, as can be seen frequently both in the content of their games as well as their forum posts with high ranking members of the Blizzard team. When the rumors regarding the progress of the Overwatch Pro Gaming League started to turn ugly, it is understandable that Blizzard would want to reach out.

There are always rumors and speculations about what is going on in the gaming industry we love so much, but it is important to distinguish when something is rumor or whether something is based in fact. We here at DFTG love to talk gaming and work hard to verify our sources, as do many other medias. Sometimes sources are wrong, misinformation does happen but it is important that both those that work in media, and those that enjoy it, are responsible with the press circulation.

We have previously reported on the latest Overwatch venture, as the franchise itself has become a billion dollar franchise within its first year and one that many of us here enjoy. To stay posted on all things Overwatch and other gaming news, check DFTG out on Twitter to follow our 24 hour newsfeed.

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