For any player that's ranked at least Master on "Overwatch" competitive play (3500 skill points or higher), there's a different kind of competitive play returning to the "Overwatch" servers. The "Overwatch" Open Division is advertised by Blizzard as an "entry-level program for aspiring professionals," and considering the high ranking levels players need to register, that description seems very apt. "Overwatch" seems to be following the rise in eSports very closely.
Mastering the season
The "Overwatch" Open Division is only available on PC, and only to players who achieve Master rank or higher in the latest competitive season.
Blizzard suggests that players hone their skills in quick play before heading over to competitive play once they hit level 25 (reaching level 25 unlocks competitive play for your account, so players under this level won't have access to this particular part of the game yet). From here they need to work their way up the ranks by playing through their 10 competitive placement matches, and then keep playing to raise their skill rating and gain promotions to achieve at least Master rank.
Open Division Season 3 is due to begin on November 11, just over a week after Season 7 of the standard competitive matches started up again. Season 3 will commence normally throughout November, with its regular matches continuing up until December 10.
At that point, the top eight teams in each region will move on to the playoffs taking place on December 16 and 17.
It'll be interesting to see where qualifying players end up competing. Season 7, Season 3, or both? Hopefully, the servers over at "Overwatch" are up to this challenge. With Competitive Season 7 not due to finish until late December, both of these seasons are going to completely overlap each other.
Ready?
Sign ups are open now, so anyone with Master rank or higher, who's willing to face a new challenge, should head over to the main "Overwatch" Open Division site to register.
This competition could potentially be your next stepping stone into professional gaming, which has become a viable career over the past couple of years, with many popular streaming gamers earning well over the adverage household income, and becomming internet sensations through Twitch.tv and Youtube.
Remember, there are prizes to be won once you reach the level of those top eight teams, so shake off the last competitive season, and get ready for the next big competition from "Overwatch."
