The Overwatch League™‘s San Francisco franchise reveals
official name and logo ahead of inaugural season
The Bay Area’s rich tradition of innovation and advancement rolls on
with San Francisco’s newest professional sports team: the San Francisco
Shock. The Shock will represent San Francisco in Blizzard
Entertainment’s new global professional esports league, the Overwatch
League™.
“There is no better market to establish as the epicenter of esports than
San Francisco,” said Andy Miller, Founder and CEO of NRG Esports, parent
organization of the San Francisco Shock. “We are so excited to bring a
hometown esports team to the region that has been central to the growth
of gaming in North America.”
The Overwatch League from Blizzard Entertainment is the first major
esports league to feature a city-based franchise structure. Twelve
franchises from around the world, including the San Francisco Shock,
will make up the teams for the inaugural season. Built from the
ground-up for online and team competition, Overwatch® is Blizzard’s
fastest game to reach 35 million players.
The SF Shock chose its name and logo to represent the seismic energy and
activity of the region. The seismograph logo is presented in gold,
honoring San Francisco’s historic gold rush heritage. The seismograph
waveform presents itself as a silhouette of the Bay Bridge, an iconic
structure connecting the City to the East Bay.
“We took great care to choose a logo and identity that would both
represent the attributes and traditions of San Francisco, yet at the
same time speak to the future of sports and the Shock’s ambitions to
take its place as a fixture next to the Bay Area’s championship sports
teams,” said Miller.
Esports are rapidly growing in popularity throughout the U.S. and
globally, with the category expected to grow
to a $1.5 billion industry in the next three years, according to
market intelligence firm Newzoo1.
SF Shock parent organization NRG Esports has competed at the highest
level of Overwatch competition since the game’s inception. “As one of
NRG’s most popular teams, Overwatch has captured our fans’ imagination
and attention from day one,” said Brett Lautenbach, President of NRG
Esports. “We are excited to build the definitive esports experience for
our hometown fans in San Francisco with live matches, amateur events,
and gaming lifestyle experiences.”
The Overwatch League begins preseason play on December 6, with a series
of exhibition matches featuring all 12 teams. The regular season will
begin on January 10 and run into June, with playoffs and finals in July
2018. For more information on the Overwatch League, visit overwatchleague.com.
For more information on the San Francisco Shock, follow the team on
Twitter @SFShock.
[1] Based on data from Newzoo, 2017 Global Esports Market Report
About San Francisco Shock
San Francisco Shock, one of the 12 esports franchises competing in the
Overwatch League’s inaugural season, is owned by NRG Esports, a San
Francisco-based esports organization competing in eight professional
video game leagues known for its deeply engaged fan base. NRG was
founded in 2015 by Andy Miller and Mark Mastrov, co-owners of the
Sacramento Kings. NRG investors include Shaquille O’Neal, Alex
Rodriguez, and Jennifer Lopez, alongside Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE, BLIZZARD, and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are
trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
CGM Newswire is a subsidiary of CGMagazine. For more information, visit our page here.
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