Overwatch Betting Sites

A Guide to Overwatch Betting in the UK

With esports betting now crossing over into the mainstream in the UK, an increasing number of people are looking to bet on esports action such as the latest matches in the Overwatch arena.

Overwatch is ranked among the top esports to bet on in the UK, alongside the likes of Dota 2, FIFA, CS:GO, League of Legends and Valorant, which is one of the world's most recent esports.

There are plenty of Overwatch betting markets out there for people to pick from these days. With more and more of the top UK betting sites offering the chance to place wagers on Overwatch, many believe that the game will continue its development into a leading esport.

But for those who are new to Overwatch betting, there can be a lot to get to grips with. People will want to know about the most popular Overwatch tournaments and events to bet on, as well as the top five bookies that offer Overwatch betting in the UK.

Introduction to Overwatch Betting

The original Overwatch was released back in 2016, with the game growing into one of the top esports around over the past few years. Made by Blizzard Entertainment, one of the leading game developers on the planet, Overwatch is an online multiplayer first-person shooter game. Overwatch is not thought to have been made with esports in mind, but it did not take long for a burgeoning scene to spring up around the title, for which a well-received sequel came out in 2022. Blizzard is the company behind StarCraft, so esports was likely in its eventual plan.

The first official Overwatch World Cup tournament was announced by Blizzard in August 2016, not long after Turner Broadcasting's ELeague had set up the first Overwatch Open event. Blizzard also announced the creation of the studio's own Overwatch League (OWL) at the same time and this remains the centre of the game's position in the rapidly growing world of esports. OWL was set up with 12 teams, each of which was based in a global city. The following season saw another eight teams added to the mix, bringing up the number of teams in the league to 20. Half a dozen teams now play in the East Region, which is based in Asia, while the rest of the teams that take part in the OWL West Region are mainly in the United States or in Canada.

During 2023, teams will compete in the sixth season of the OWL with the regular season starting on April 27. There have been a few changes to the lineup for the coming campaign with the Paris Eternal having moved from France to Nevada and rebranded to the Vegas Eternal. In addition, the Philadelphia Fusion has switched to Seoul in South Korea as the Seoul Infernal.

With the recent rise of esports came an increase in interest surrounding betting on the action, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when many real-life sports had to pause for a while. So what are the five best bookies that offer Overwatch betting markets in the UK at this stage?

Popular Overwatch Betting Markets

As with other top esports to bet on like Dota 2 and CS:GO, there are myriad betting markets to pick from for Overwatch. Many of these are similar to the most popular betting markets for other esports like CS:GO or Dota 2. Here are the top Overwatch betting markets to go for in the UK:

Outright winner: For major Overwatch tournaments such as the Overwatch World Cup, the best UK esports bookmakers will offer an outright winner market. Here, users have to predict who will be lifting the trophy at the end of the action, with odds offered before and during the tournament.

Match winner: It is possible to bet on various matches within the world of Overwatch too. Again, users can decide whether to place Overwatch wagers before the action starts, or in play. The match-winner market simply involves predicting which of the teams will come out on top.

Handicap: As with a lot of other esports - and sports like football - handicap betting has become a lot more popular in the last few years. These markets offer one of the teams in an Overwatch match either a virtual head start or a penalty, which is handy when one is a very big favourite.

Map winner: Many of the best UK betting sites for Overwatch also have map winner betting. Here, it is possible to bet on the winner of each map that is used during the overall game. This can be handy for Overwatch fans who want to bet on their favourite team getting a flying start.

Correct score: As with other esports, betting on the final score in an Overwatch match is possible too. With this Overwatch betting market, it is not enough to accurately predict which team is going to be the victor, but also the score in terms of maps won at the end of it too.

To win at least one map: Among the various props bets that are sometimes offered for Overwatch contests is this one, where a team just has to win at least one map. It does not matter if they go on to lose the match overall as long as they are victorious on a map.

Popular Overwatch Betting Tournaments/Events To Bet On

Overwatch still has a growing esports scene, with lots of different events taking place. However, a couple of top Overwatch tournaments stand out as the best ones for placing wagers in the UK.

Overwatch World Cup: 2023 is set to be a big year for Overwatch betting as it will see the return of the Overwatch World Cup. Last held in 2019, it is returning following a long hiatus. In the OWWC, teams from countries around the world face off to challenge for the overall crown. The history of the Overwatch World Cup so far has been dominated by South Korea so far, with three crowns to date, however, the most recent OOWC title was won by the United States. The Overwatch World Cup Opening Day was on February 7, kicking off the countdown to the final.

Overwatch League (OWL): The meat and drink of the Overwatch betting world is still the Overwatch League, or the OWL as it is usually referred to for short. OWL betting will begin in earnest when the new season gets underway in April. As with previous OWL seasons, the teams are split into two regions - East and West - with several teams having changed either their branding or regions for the 2023 season. The Spring Stage of the OWL 2023 season is due to culminate in the international Midseason Madness tournament when Overwatch betting will again be available, while the Summer Stage will then culminate with the season playoffs.

Understanding How Overwatch Games Work

When betting on Overwatch, it goes without saying that an understanding of how Overwatch games work will help out a lot. In the game, teams are split into two groups of six, with each of them assigned a character - known as a hero - which has its own special set of skills. Various map-specific objectives have to be completed by the teams within a limited period of time. Overwatch 2 uses five-on-five teams, which is a slight change from the original Overwatch.

The format for Overwatch events and tournaments can differ by a great deal. However, the Overwatch World Cup previously took place across three stages: preliminary rounds, group stages, and playoffs. This allowed anticipation to grow among those joining in with Overwatch betting during the competition, which was won by the United States when it was last held.

The characters in Overwatch are in three varieties: Damage, Tank, and Support. Teams will therefore have a mix of strengths when they face off on the map that has been selected. There were a dozen Overwatch maps when the game was released by developer Blizzard, but as with similar esports, this number has increased as more new maps have been released over the years. The first quartet of maps to be released were inspired by London, Japan, Ancient Egypt and Greece, being named as follows: King's Row, Hanamura, Temple of Anubis and Ilios.

Overwatch 2 being released has signalled a new chapter for how Overwatch games work. While it is based on the same style of gameplay, Overwatch 2 has more than 30 different playable characters and the game also has a battle pass that is available for players to unlock cosmetics.