In the late 1990s and into the 21st century, the video gaming industry was one of the fastest growing industries in the world. There was nary a boy or girl who didn’t have a Gameboy, Nintendo or X-box unit with all the requisite accessories and games. Who would have though history would repeat itself almost 20 years later?
Here we are in 2019, and eSports is taking the world by storm. There are literally millions of video gamers who are trying to take the video gaming experience to the highest level of professionalism. Likewise, video gaming has fast become a spectator sport with tens of millions of fans and viewers tuning into to watch important eSports league matches and tournaments online or on cable TV. The industry has even become a favorite among sports gamblers, who are more than happy to grab a casino promo code for funds to wager on an eSports match or tournament. It’s truly a phenomenon.
In the eSports community, the Overwatch League is arguably one of the top leagues in the world. It features a number of the sport’s top teams and players as well as one of the best league commissions. That was until the recent announcement that Nate Nanzer will be reg as commissioner and head of Activision Blizzard to take on the role of overseeing competitive eSports at Epic Games.
Nanzer made the announcement just this past week via his Twitter . He thanked the entire eSports community for its and added, “I can’t emphasize enough how proud I am of what we’ve all accomplished together. It has been the honor of my life to have been part of the team that helped build the league of #breakthrough, #BurnBlue, #pdomjnate, #CaptureHistory, #OWL2019, and many more.”
It was Nanzer who in 2015 was the BrainTrust behind the whole Overwatch concept. He is responsible for initiating, nurturing and building the brand into one of the top groups in all of the eSports community.
It’s been almost four years, and the Overwatch League is now well into its second season with the of some amazing high-profile sponsors. Nanzer has also had great success bringing the Overwatch community to eSports fans through some strong and innovative media deals with major broadcasting companies like ABC Sports.
With so much on the Horizon for eSports and the Overwatch League in particular, there is an uneasiness about Nanzer leaving at such a critical juncture. With that said, he cautions eSports insiders about giving him too much credit. In his press release, he stated the following:
“I get way too much credit for the success of the Overwatch League. It’s been awesome to be our public face, but too many overestimate my role in making the league great. It isn’t about me; it’s never been. It’s about all of you. That’s why I’m confident the league is in great hands. I can’t wait to see where the team takes the Overwatch League in 2020 and beyond. And I’ll be cheering right there alongside you, every step of the way.”