Blizzard announces impending OWL merch store closure
Blizzard Entertainment is closing down the Overwatch League Merch store. In an email to shop users, the company announced that May 20 would be the last day to order your merchandise.
Fading out
Click to enlargeOver the last couple of months, Blizzard Entertainment has attempted to get rid of its remaining merch stock, offering sizeable sitewide discounts to clear its shelves and announcing it more frequently via weekly e-mails.
The announcement on the shop's front page reads: "HURRY, HEROES! May 20th is the final chance to bring your favourite Overwatch League memories home. Show your support for the legendary teams and stay connected to the fandom forever!"
For many Overwatch League fans, it may be the last time they'll be able to purchase memorabilia from the former franchise league. Despite its aggressive outreach strategy, which has reached the mailboxes of former OWL fans, most of the former Overwatch League brands' kits remain available.
Only the jersey of the last OWL Champion, the Florida Mayhem, appears to be sold out. Even kit designs from the earlier OWL seasons remain available. Unfortunately, for non-US fans, the shipping costs are pretty high.
If you're outside the USA and fancy making the most of the sale, the shipping costs run at almost the price of a jersey to get it to you. It also doesn't appear that the prices decreased any further over the discounts of the last several weeks.
Brands are technically alive
After the franchise league closed its doors and announced a transition to an open circuit we now know as the Overwatch Championship Series, most of the OWL franchises had neither engaged with Overwatch esports nor used the established brands they retained ownership over.
Only the Toronto Defiant remains an active team in the OWCS, while the Houston Outlaws used their brand to transform their business into an influencer marketing-focused business.
While former franchise owners have stayed absent from the scene, many of the former players from the Overwatch League days are still around. Most recently, the former core of the Hangzhou Spark reformed under the team OnceAgain, looking to compete in upcoming competitions in the Chinese region.
The future of the in-game skins remains unknown. At the time of writing, Overwatch League skins are still available in the in-game store, with a dedicated Overwatch League tap still offering skins for OWL tokens, a currency that viewers were able to attain through viewing the competition or purchasing the tokens directly.
