Win.gg
News
New rules, regulations announced for Stage 2 of 2019 Overwatch League New rules, regulations announced for Stage 2 of 2019 Overwatch League
The Overwatch League Stage 1 playoffs kick off soon, but fans have some fun new additions to look forward to for Stage 2.
The rules and regulations for the next stage of the 2019 season were revealed on the official
OWL website. The changes will hit a number of different fronts, introducing a new patch, a new schedule, and a fresh lineup of maps.
The biggest change will come with the OWL adopting the 1.34 patch. The highlight of the update is the addition of new hero Baptiste, who is expected to shake up the entire pro Overwatch scene.
This will likely mark the end of the GOATS meta. OWL fans have been frustrated throughout the 2019 season as teams exclusively field lineups of tank and support heroes. Many games have been reduced to mirror matches of Reinhardt, Lucio, Zarya, Moira, Brigette, and D.va, with little variation. Though none of these heroes were outright nerfed, the 1.34 update brings buffs to most DPS heroes which will hopefully result in a more dynamic experience from game to game.
There will also be multiple changes to the league’s maps. The order of matches has been changed to control, assault, hybrid, and escort, with an additional control tiebreaker if necessary. This reduces the likelihood of matches being determined midway through the third map.
The map rotation has also been heavily changed, There are once again 12 total maps in the Stage 2 pool with three options for each different game mode. Stage 2 will feature just four of the maps that were used in Stage 1, with new assault map Paris being the most noteworthy addition.
Stage 2 will also introduce new tiebreakers for teams with identical records. This comes following a pair of seeding tiebreakers for the Stage 1 playoffs, which included a coin flip deciding the standing of the Toronto Defiant and Philadelphia Fusion. No hints were given on what will break these ties in the future, with the announcement simply promising more specifics at a later date.
Finally, OWL matches have generally run longer than was initially expected, which has resulted in changes to the league’s daily scheduling. New times can be found on the
OWL website.
Stage 2 of the 2019 season kicks off on April 4 with a showdown between New York Excelsior and Philadelphia Fusion.
Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
View full profile
Read Also
Twitch
Jynxzi’s Rainbow Six Siege Tournament: Format, Date and Roster
Khizar Mundia
Nicholas “Jynxzi” Stewart’s Rainbow Six Siege tournament is about to start, and this time Ubisoft is also supporting the event. With the roster now confirmed, Twitch drops will also be available to viewers throughout the stream. Jynxzi is best known for his Rainbow Six Siege content, even though he regularly plays several other games, including GTA 5. The streamer still revisits Rainbow Six Siege both on stream and through the tournaments ...
Dota 2
Teams travelling to TI15 had to contend with a Typhoon that flooded the streets of Shanghai
Michael Hassall
It’s not often that the elements themselves conspire against Dota 2 players, but as players started to head to China for TI15, some were left stranded by the arrival of Typhoon Dolphin to the eastern China coast. OG and other teams, potentially including PARIVISION (competing at TI as Team VISION), seemingly found themselves with extended layovers as Shanghai Airport cancelled flights in the wake of Typhoon Dolphin. While all the ...
GTA
Trade on Which Songs Will Make It Onto the GTA 6 Radio at Kalshi — Use Promo Code WINGGPREMAR
Zachary Roberts
Like all previous games in the series, GTA 6 will have an extensive in-house array of radio stations which will be a major part of gameplay. The radio adds a lifelike wrinkle to Grand Theft Auto games whenever you get in a vehicle, which, as the franchise name suggests, is pretty often. Some players enjoy just riding around the setting of the game listening to music. GTA 5 and Online ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 schedule: Dota 2 TI15 full schedule and day-by-day
Michael Hassall
The International 2026, TI15, is finally here, and with the event starting it’s time to watch the greatest Dota 2 teams from around the globe compete for the game’s ultimate prize: The Aegis of Champions. With TI15 taking place in Shanghai, China, and in a completely different timezone for many of its viewers, the schedule and timings can be a bit hard to follow. That’s why we’ve put together a ...
Twitch
Kai Cenat and iShowSpeed Minecraft Marathon: Rules and Highlights So Far
Khizar Mundia
Kai Cenat and Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr.’s much-awaited Minecraft marathon is now live, with the pair revealing the event's rules. While the two haven’t been faring well in their mission, fans are invested to see whether they can complete the marathon, which is being streamed on YouTube and Twitch. Here is a look at the rules for Kai Cenat and iShowSpeed’s 2026 Minecraft marathon, as well as some of the ...
News
YouTube Increases Viewership Requirement for Earning Ad Revenue
Hannan Mundia
Despite YouTube being a cornerstone for creators hoping to quickly start earning money from their content, the platform is increasing its viewership requirement following changes to the YouTube Partner Program. While content creators today can utilize the monetization programs offered by multiple platforms, that wasn’t always the case. Previously, YouTube was the only reliable platform that paid its creators fairly. Of course, this only applied to those who had met ...
Twitch
Asmongold Banned on Twitch and Reveals Health Scare
Khizar Mundia
Zack “Asmongold” Hoyt has been banned from Twitch on his Zackrawrr channel, and he uploaded a video in response, also revealing that he had been busy dealing with a worrying health scare. Asmongold is infamous for his controversial and blunt takes on serious matters, and the streamer’s political opinions have led to him butting heads with Twitch multiple times. The streamer has recently been banned from Twitch again, and viewers ...
