It Turns Out Overwatch’s League Players Are Making Pretty Good Money

Blizzard is continuing to put effort into the official Overwatch pro league, with the first face-offs set to take place later this year. But what's surprising about the whole thing is how devoted they really are when it comes to said effort.

According to information provided by the company, players that join the Overwatch League will be able to get full benefits, just like a real-time job. And, for that matter, they'll also get a nice paycheck to go along with that, earning a minimum of $50,000 per year.

Teams that sign on players will be required to do so with a minimum one-year contract, with the option to extend to two if they wish. Players will also get a retirement savings plan, housing and practice facilities over the course of the season, along with those full health benefits.

But there's more, apparently. On top of the salary that's being offered to players, a minimum of 50 percent of bonuses earned from winning certain match-ups have to go to the players. And there's also a bonus pool that's put together from events, with a total of $3.5 million from the first season alone – and one million by itself will be awarded to the championship team that takes it all by season's end.

That's not a bad way to make a living, really. A player can net $50,000 in salary and $83,000 as part of a winning team by the end of season one.

The League is set to kick off later this year, with a number of teams confirmed, including Boston, Los Angeles, Miami/Orlando, New York City, San Francisco, Seoul and Shanghai. And players can be signed up between August 1st and October 30th, so things are moving very quickly for the league.

Now, it's hard to tell just how successful the Overwatch League will really be, but considering the success of esports as of late, there's a good chance it'll last well into the next season and beyond. We'll see just what kind of competition enters the fray – and who's good enough to stay on top.

Overwatch is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.