The season one Overwatch League grand finals held at the Barclays Center in New York this weekend draws over 20,00 eSports fans and fills the venue to capacity.
After it was revealed that a recent study found that pro gamers may soon earn more than pro athletes, it is not surprising to find that eSports events these days also draw huge numbers of crowds. One event that many eSports fans were looking forward to is the Overwatch League finals, which took place this weekend at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and had an attendance of close to 11,000 fans.
There had been some doubts about scheduling the championship finals at Barclays Center, because for the entire Overwatch League season one, all the games were played in the small, 450-seat Blizzard Arena in Burbank, CA. There was a lot of skepticism about holding the finals in a place as big as Barclays Center, as it meant that in order to fill the venue over the course of the two-day finals, Blizzard would have to sell a lot of tickets.
Despite the Overwatch League finals tickets being a steep $200, and the fact that anyone could watch it at home for free, it was announced that the tickets were sold out in less than a month. Not only that, but fans from all over the world, including Staten Island, California, Canada, and even South Korea attended the event.
As for the results of season one of the Overwatch League, the London Spitfire defeated the Philadelphia Fusion in the grand finals of the league, earning the $1 million prize. Events such these are a clear indication of the strides that video gaming and eSports have made in the last few years. In terms of popularity, prize money, and attendance, eSports may soon even overtake other sports that have been established for decades.
Overwatch is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
