Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) is the official Overwatch esports circuit run by Blizzard with FACEIT. Teams play regional leagues in North America, EMEA, Asia and China across stages through the year, and the best teams qualify for international events including the Midseason Championship and the World Finals.
Events on the calendar
| Event | Status | Dates | Location | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OWCS Japan Stage 3 | Ongoing | Sep 21 to Oct 20, 2026 | Japan | $13,000 |
| Overwatch Collegiate Fall 2026 Open | Ongoing | Sep 24 to Nov 22, 2026 | United States | $30,000 |
| OWCS Korea Stage 3 | Ongoing | Oct 2 to Nov 8, 2026 | Seoul | $24,500 |
| OWCS China Stage 3 | Ongoing | Oct 3 to Nov 8, 2026 | China | ¥700,000 CNY (≃ $104,406 USD) |
| OWCS EMEA Stage 3 | Upcoming | Oct 10 to Nov 1, 2026 | Europe MENA | $75,000 |
| OWCS NA Stage 3 | Upcoming | Oct 10 to Nov 1, 2026 | North America | $75,000 |
| OWCS Pacific Stage 3 | Upcoming | Oct 26 to Nov 3, 2026 | Southeast Asia | $6,000 |
| OWWC 2026 | Completed |
Formats and key facts
OWCS Japan Stage 3
- Starts
- 2026-09-21
- Ends
- 2026-10-20
- Location
- Japan
- Type
- Online
- Prize pool
- $13,000 USD
- Teams
- 8
- Series
- OWCS
- Tier
- A-Tier
- Regular Season: September 21st – October 14th
- Round Robin
- All matches are Ft3
- Top 4 teams advance to Regional Playoffs
- Regional Playoffs: October 19th – 20th
- Single elimination bracket
- All matches are Ft4
- Top 3 teams advance to OWCS Asia Stage 3
- Hero Bans
- Each team bans 1 hero per map, with the ban impacting both teams
- Each ban must be from a different role than the other team's ban
- Teams can only ban a hero once per series, but may repeat a ban from the opposing team
- The higher seeded team or team that has lost the last map chooses to ban first or second
Overwatch Collegiate Fall 2026 Open
- Starts
- 2026-09-24
- Ends
- 2026-11-22
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Online
- Prize pool
- $30,000 USD
- Teams
- 175
- Series
- COL
- Tier
- A-Tier
- Swiss: September 24th – November 12th
- Eight swiss rounds
- All matches are Ft3
- Top 32 teams advance to Playoffs
- Playoffs: November 14th – 22nd
- Single elimination bracket
- All matches (Excl. Grand Finals) are Ft3
- Grand Finals are Ft4
- Hero Bans
- Each team bans 1 hero per map, with the ban impacting both teams
- Each ban must be from a different role than the other team's ban
- Teams can only ban a hero once per series, but may repeat a ban from the opposing team
- Higher seeded team receives first ban, after which the team that lost the last map receives first ban
OWCS Korea Stage 3
- Starts
- 2026-10-02
- Ends
- 2026-11-08
- Location
- Seoul
- Venue
- WDG Studio Hongdae
- Type
- Offline
- Prize pool
- $24,500 USD
- Teams
- 9
- Series
- OWCS
- Tier
- A-Tier
- Regular Season: October 2nd – 25th
- Round Robin
- All matches are Ft3
- Top 4 teams advance to Playoffs Seeding Decider Matches
- Next 4 teams advance to Last Chance Qualifier
- Playoffs Seeding Decider Matches: October 30th – November 1st
- Single Round Robin
- Results of Regular Season carry over
- All matches are Ft3
- All teams advance to Regional Playoffs
- Top 2 teams receive a first-round bye
- Last Chance Qualifier: October 30th – November 1st
- Double elimination bracket
- All matches are Ft3
- 5th and 6th team from Regular Season start from Upper Bracket
- Top 2 teams advance to Regional Playoffs
- Regional Playoffs: November 6th – 8th
- Single elimination bracket
- All matches are Ft4
- Top 4 teams advance to OWCS Asia Stage 3
- Hero Bans
- Each team bans 1 hero per map, with the ban impacting both teams
- Each ban must be from a different role than the other team's ban
- Teams can only ban a hero once per series, but may repeat a ban from the opposing team
- The higher seeded team or team that has lost the last map chooses to ban first or second
OWCS China Stage 3
- Starts
- 2026-10-03
- Ends
- 2026-11-08
- Location
- China
- Type
- Online
- Prize pool
- ¥700,000 CNY (≃ $104,406 USD)
- Teams
- 8
- Series
- OWCS
- Tier
- A-Tier
- Regular Season – Swiss Stage: October 3rd – 11th
- Swiss with 4 rounds
- All matches are Ft3
- Top 6 teams advance to Regular Season – Round Robin:
- 4 teams that reach 2 wins advance.
- Teams of 1-2 result will battle against with teams of 0-2 result, winners advance.
- Regular Season – Round Robin Stage: October 17th – November 1st
- Round Robin
- All matches are Ft3
- Top 4 teams advance to Regional Playoffs
- Regional Playoffs: November 7th – 8th
- Double elimination bracket
- All matches (excl. Grand Finals) are Ft3
- Grand Finals are Ft4
- Hero Bans
- Each team bans 1 hero per map, with the ban impacting both teams
- Each ban must be from a different role than the other team's ban
- Teams can only ban a hero once per series, but may repeat a ban from the opposing team
- The higher seeded team or team that has lost the last map chooses to ban first or second
OWCS EMEA Stage 3
- Starts
- 2026-10-10
- Ends
- 2026-11-01
- Location
- Europe MENA
- Type
- Online
- Prize pool
- $75,000 USD
- Teams
- 6
- Series
- OWCS
- Tier
- A-Tier
- Regular Season: October 10th – 25th
- Round Robin
- All matches are Ft3
- Top 4 teams advance to Regional Playoffs
- Regional Playoffs: October 30th – November 1st
- Double elimination bracket
- All matches (excl. Grand Finals) are Ft3
- Grand Finals are Ft4
- Hero Bans
- Each team bans 1 hero per map, with the ban impacting both teams
- Each ban must be from a different role than the other team's ban
- Teams can only ban a hero once per series, but may repeat a ban from the opposing team
- The higher seeded team or team that has lost the last map chooses to ban first or second
OWCS NA Stage 3
- Starts
- 2026-10-10
- Ends
- 2026-11-01
- Location
- North America
- Type
- Online
- Prize pool
- $75,000 USD
- Teams
- 6
- Series
- OWCS
- Tier
- A-Tier
- Regular Season: October 10th – 25th
- Round Robin
- All matches are Ft3
- Top 4 teams advance to Regional Playoffs
- Regional Playoffs: October 30th – November 1st
- Double elimination bracket
- All matches (excl. Grand Finals) are Ft3
- Grand Finals are Ft4
- Hero Bans
- Each team bans 1 hero per map, with the ban impacting both teams
- Each ban must be from a different role than the other team's ban
- Teams can only ban a hero once per series, but may repeat a ban from the opposing team
- The higher seeded team or team that has lost the last map chooses to ban first or second
Common questions
When is OWCS Japan Stage 3?
OWCS Japan Stage 3 runs Sep 21 to Oct 20, 2026.
Where is OWCS Japan Stage 3 played?
OWCS Japan Stage 3 is played online.
How much is the OWCS Japan Stage 3 prize pool?
The prize pool is $13,000 USD.
How many teams play in OWCS Japan Stage 3?
8 teams.
When is Overwatch Collegiate Fall 2026 Open?
Overwatch Collegiate Fall 2026 Open runs Sep 24 to Nov 22, 2026.
Where is Overwatch Collegiate Fall 2026 Open played?
Overwatch Collegiate Fall 2026 Open is played online.
How much is the Overwatch Collegiate Fall 2026 Open prize pool?
The prize pool is $30,000 USD.
How many teams play in Overwatch Collegiate Fall 2026 Open?
175 teams.
When is OWCS Korea Stage 3?
OWCS Korea Stage 3 runs Oct 2 to Nov 8, 2026.
Where is OWCS Korea Stage 3 played?
OWCS Korea Stage 3 is held in Seoul at WDG Studio Hongdae.
Source Liquipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0. Last updated .