Activision is thinking about merging the OWL and CDL brands

According to reports, Activision is exploring a new mandate that will force the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League franchises to merge into a single brand.

Activision Blizzard is apparently considering mandating organizations that field teams in the Call of Duty League (CDL) and Overwatch League (OWL) to rebrand under a single name. Activision Blizzard officials are reportedly having a conversation with league partners about integrating their brands across both leagues, according to a report by Dexerto’s Jacob Hale. Teams from the CDL and OWL will use the same branding in both leagues rather than using distinct ones if the mandate gets approved.  

For instance, OverActive Media fields the Toronto Defiant in the OWL and the Toronto Ultra in the CDL, but the mandate will force the organization to unify and utilize one of the names and brands across the two competitions, not both. At the moment, each team across the two leagues has its own identity, branding, and sometimes even location, even though it is owned by the same parent firm. By introducing one fan base to the other in a cohesive way, this move would try to unite the fan bases of the two leagues.

Will Activisions’s new approach revive OWL?

The news follows Activision Blizzard’s admission last month that the future “longevity” of the Call of Duty and Overwatch Leagues, which both experience financial difficulties, looks gloomy. The teams in both leagues owe a combined $400 million in late franchise payments, which have been repeatedly postponed for the past three years, according to a report by Jacob Wolf.

The Overwatch League in particular has been impacted badly by the NetEase incident and the closure of Blizzard games in China, which prompted many well-known Chinese franchises to give up on the game. Major sponsors have also withdrawn from the leagues as a result of the widespread workplace and sexism controversy. 

Things are a little better for the Call of Duty League because esports organizations are still attempting to join the league, which suggests that it is in a more stable situation. It will be intriguing to see if Activision is successful in creating a more sustainable ecosystem for its esports title now that fresh strategies and plans have been put in place.

Here are all the teams that will be affected by the possible mandate

Call of Duty League:

• Boston Breach 
• Toronto Ultra 
• LA Guerrillas 
• Atlanta FaZe 
• Vegas Legion 
• OpTic Texas  
• New York Subliners 
• Seattle Surge 
• Florida Mutineers 

Overwatch League:

• Boston Uprising 
• Toronto Defiant
• LA Gladiators 
• Atlanta Reign 
• Vegas Eternal 
• Dallas Fuel
• New York Excelsior
• Vancouver Titans 
• Florida Mayhem 

Header: Activision Blizzard