Rumor: Leaked Overwatch League Rulebook Has Interesting Stipulations, Like Not Being Able To Say ‘Fortnite’

The Overwatch League has been pretty awesome over the past few weeks, thanks to the fierce [...]

Overwatch League

The Overwatch League has been pretty awesome over the past few weeks, thanks to the fierce competition that has taken place leading up to the Stage 2 Finals.

But it hasn't been without its fair share of controversy, between Blizzard banning Pepe the Frog signs and a player getting terminated due to unfavorable instances. (These include insulting a rival player and using a racial term in online chat.)

Now, though, something real interesting has surfaced, as RLewisReports has reportedly gotten their hands on a rulebook for Overwatch League, which has a few interesting stipulations in place for its players.

These rules are rather strict, although some are understood considering that Blizzard wants the focus to remain on Overwatch. But here's a quick recap of some of the stipulations you can find in said rulebook:

  • The league has the rights to player likenesses, and can actually create reality shows around said personalities or teams, without royalties going back to the players.
  • Players cannot criticize any Activision Blizzard games or question the worth or legitimacy of the Overwatch League in any way.
  • Players can't "directly or indirectly endorse the playing or purchase of any non-Activision Blizzard game in any manner." (This includes titles like Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.)
  • The game must be up-to-date with the latest version, so you can't take advantage of previous Nerfs that aren't applied.
  • Players can't compete in organized competitive play for any game.
  • Can't use a name that references any Activision Blizzard character while playing non-Activision Blizzard games. (So you can't call yourself "Overwatch Joe" or whatever.)
  • Players can only participate in standard modes, without using any sort of cheats or custom game servers. This includes non-Activision Blizzard games as well.
  • Players cannot stream with more than one player from the league without its approval, although the rule has been altered a bit due to player feedback.

Some of these just make sense. After all, why bring a player onto the Overwatch League if he's going to talk trash about, say, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare?

For that matter, not mentioning the competition also makes sense, as Overwatch League is already competing enough with Fortnite streaming sessions as it is.

Blizzard hasn't provided any comment on the rulebook, so take this with a grain of salt. But some of these rulings, again, just might make sense, in an effort to keep players focused on fair play within the League. We'll keep you informed if the publisher says anything.

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

(Hat tip to Game Informer for the info!)

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