Toronto Defiant announce their exit from the Overwatch League
The parent company of the Toronto Defiant, OverActive Media have confirmed their exit from the Overwatch League.
Announced in a press release, the company disclosed that it will be receiving $6 million USD (~£4,490,000) termination fee in accordance with the exit fee previously announced in Activision Blizzard's own quarterly report.
Despite leaving the franchise system of the Overwatch League, OAM explained that it is still planning to participate Overwatch esports in the future. The implications for the wider Overwatch League system are currently unknown.
OverActive Media’s exit
The news arrives amid an ongoing vote for the discontinuation of the Overwatch League of which the results are currently not officially known. In a quarterly earnings report in July, Activision Blizzard disclosed the possibility of a termination fee in order of $6 million USD for each of its franchises.
GGRecon had previously reported that the Overwatch League had entered talks with the third-party tournament organisers WDG Esports for the Asian region, and ESL FACEIT Group for North America and Europe.
The Toronto Defiant are the second franchise to leave the Overwatch League after the Chengdu Hunters had left the League prior to the start of Season 6.
Despite its exit, CEO Adam Adamou shared: “We are eager to share more about our vision for Toronto Defiant and our plans to return to Overwatch esports. We expect more information to come on this front soon.”
As one of the expansion teams coming into the Overwatch League in season 2, the Defiant became one of the most engaged franchises, ranking among the franchises with the most revenue in 2020.
Moreover, the Defiant were one of the more active event organisers of the teams, most recently hosting the Overwatch League Grand Finals in the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto.
The organisation previously announced the cancellation of all outstanding franchise fees upon completion of the sixth season in mid-October, also announcing the departure of all members of its active roster with the exclusion of its head coach Cas "Casores" van Andel.
GGRecon has reached out to Blizzard Entertainment for comment on the future of the Overwatch League. Moreover, we’ve also contacted OverActive Media to inquire about the potential implications of their exit and their plans for their future involvement in Overwatch esports. Neither party has responded at the time of reporting.
