The Overwatch League plans a series of roster rule changes -- which include a reduction in the minimum roster size and a slight bump in pay for its players -- that will take effect in the upcoming 2022 season, the league announced Monday.
Because the league will shift to using Overwatch 2 and the game’s five-vs.-five player format, teams will require a minimum of six players on each roster, down from the seven-player floor used in the 2021 season. The roster limit will remain unchanged at 12 players per squad.
The much-anticipated trading season begins on Sept. 27, one day after the 2021 Grand Finals. Teams then have a week more to decide on existing player contracts and must tender deals to their own players they hope to keep by Oct. 2. Otherwise, players not tendered can become free agents on Oct. 9, and they may sign with new teams starting the next day.
The league will require each team to have at least five players secured by Jan. 3, and each club must at least hit the six-player minimum by March 1. The season is expected to start in April.
The minimum salary for each player mandated by the league will rise slightly from $50,000 to $50,700. Per past seasons, all season-based contracts must be at least one year long. Deals are allowed to include a unilateral club option for another season, giving teams the chance to retain desired players before they hit free agency.
The eight-team, double-elimination 2021 playoffs start Tuesday.
--Field Level Media