The Overwatch League has been well on its way to becoming one of the most popular esports institutions over the past two years. With a seemingly bright future that has been outlined for OWL as of late, it is somewhat surprising that the commissioner and one of the founders of the league has decided to depart it for another opportunity. Nate Nanzer recently took to Twitter to share the news with everyone that he is leaving Blizzard, and while he didn’t disclose where the next opportunity is located, it was later confirmed that he will be joining the team at Epic Games.
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“This has been the toughest decision of my life, because it means I won’t get to work with the best staff, players, teams, owners, partners, and fans in esports anymore,” he said. “I can’t emphasize enough how proud I am of what we’ve all accomplished together.” He then went on to note how he believes he receives “too much credit” for the Overwatch League’s success. “It’s been awesome to be our public face, but too many overestimate my role in making the league great,” he said. “It isn’t about me; it’s never been. It’s about all of you.”
It was later revealed by Activision Blizzard President and CEO of esports leagues Pete Vlastelica that he will be taking over for Nanzer, effective immediately. “We have the best team in the business working incredibly hard to realize the vision we set out to create years ago, and I’ll be working very closely with our staff, the teams and partners to do just that,” Vlastelica said (via ESPN).
As many of you likely know by now, Epic Games’ Fortnite Battle Royale has been jumping into the esports waters as of late, especially with the ongoing Fortnite World Cup. Epic did confirm that Nanzer’s role will be helping with competitive Fortnite. While Epic has been able to put up some pretty big prize money, they haven’t really been able to cement themselves in the esports world. With the addition of Nanzer, however, there’s a good chance we’ll see that transition in no time.
What do you think about all of this? Do you believe Nanzer will be able to turn things around for the Fortnite competitive scene? Sound off in the comment section below, or feel free to hit me up over on Twitter @anarkE7!
