With the Overwatch League’s third season set to kick off next month, fans can now pre-order the jerseys that players will be wearing come opening day.
The jerseys are the result of a collaboration between the Overwatch League and streetwear designer Jeff Staple and will be used by all of the teams during the league’s upcoming third season. According to Blizzard, Staple was called in to, “reimagine, design and create an authentic player kit for esports.” The new jerseys feature elevated fabrics, premium graphics applications, new side gussets for adjustable control, as well as a fit that is made to be extra wearable during gaming sessions.
The more loose-fitting style is a significant departure from the jerseys worn in the first two seasons of the Overwatch League, which closely resembled soccer jerseys. In addition, the 2019 Overwatch League jerseys that were available to fans were of a lesser quality than the ones that the pros wore on-stage, whereas the 2020 versions are identical to the ones that players will wear this season. As a result of the higher quality, distributor Fanatics says that they will require, “additional ramp up time,” and that the jerseys will not ship right away. Seeing as the Overwatch League’s third season kicks off in just over a week, it’s highly unlikely that orders will be fulfilled until at least a few weeks after, and it’s unclear if they will be sold live at the matches. Fanatics is offering a $20 FanCash voucher on all North American jersey orders that can be used as a discount on their next purchase from the store.
While short sleeve jerseys are the only item currently available for pre-order, there are a number of different outfits that will release at a later date. These include compression sleeves, New Era 39THIRTY caps, and New Era beanies. There will also be Long-sleeve jerseys and jackets available to purchase at matches, although the availability will differ on a team-by-team basis.
As for the Overwatch League, Season 3 kicks off at 1:00 PM PST on February 8th, with a matchup between the Toronto Defiant and Paris Eternal. The league recently announced that all games will be broadcasted on YouTube in addition to Call of Duty and Hearthstone esports events.
