OWL All-Access Pass features not available for replays

Twitch’s All-Access Pass is leaving some Overwatch League fans underwhelmed.

When the $14.99 pass was first announced, one of the major selling points was the Command Center. The new feature boasted a variety of viewing options, including the ability to watch from any player’s POV at any time during a match.

Many viewers were left wondering if the ambitious POV feature was available during viewing of recorded games. Reddit user PoCK3T5 came through with an answer from Overwatch League customer service. The response to his question stated that “extra views available will only be during live games.” All of the replays and clips available after the matches will strictly be from the standard game view.

While fans were grateful for the information, it left a bad taste in a lot of mouths. One Reddit user thanked PoCK3T5 for saving him $15. Other users admitted they had gone to Twitch to ask for a refund, since POV VODs “were the whole point of the system.”

European viewers were especially vocal in the thread, expressing that Blizzard has ignored their frustrations once again. Thursday’s 4 PM PST match, with Philadelphia Fusion and London Spitfire rematching after last season’s grand finals, will be airing at 1 AM in many European countries.

Last year, the Overwatch League faced criticism over the time of the live broadcast. Fans in other countries would often have to watch the live matches late into the night, or very early in the morning. With viewers around the globe, it’s been difficult for the league to find times that work for everyone, and the time schedule has remained virtually the same this season.

“The solution is offering all POVs as VODs,” said Reddit user Kittz0r. “Even games from 2003 have clients which let you spectate every person on a server, or do freecam in a VOD, but Blizzard can’t do that in 2019?”