Blizzard to launch pro sports league for 'Overwatch'

One of Blizzard Entertainment's hottest video games is making the jump into a professional sports league. The studio, a division of video game publisher Activision Blizzard, announced Friday the launch of Overwatch League, a professional video gaming league kicking off its inaugural season during the second half of 2017. Details of the league were revealed during Blizzcon, the studio's annual fan event in Anaheim, Calif. Blizzard says the league will combine competitive video gaming -- better known as eSports -- with hallmarks of professional sports leagues like the National Football League, complete with teams based in various cities worldwide featuring owners who will cultivate team and player development. "Nothing like this has ever really been done before," said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick during an interview with USA TODAY.