2021 Overwatch League Playoffs: All qualified teams, prize pool, pick’em predictions, and more

The Overwatch League is now reaching its climax, as the top eight teams from the 2021 Season have already been defined after an impressive regular season, four incredible majors, and gruelling play-ins where the last spots were at stake.

Now that we are just a couple of days before the end of this year’s schedule, it’s time to take a look at all qualified teams, the format, bracket, and everything the teams will be playing for, in the 2021 Overwatch League Playoffs.

2021 Overwatch League Playoffs: All qualified teams and format

Due to significant changes in the environment affecting travel for some of the teams, the 2021 Overwatch League Playoffs will be played in an online format, with all of the western squads travelling to Hawaii to play against those from the east, thanks to the Project Aloha technology.

Taking this into account, the playoffs will feature a combined double-elimination playoff bracket, summing up the top three from the West, the top two from the East, and three qualified teams via play-ins.

The overall seedings have been determined thanks to their League Points collected with their results in both regular season and majors, being as follows:

1. Shanghai Dragons
2. Dallas Fuel
3. Chengdu Hunters
4. Los Angeles Gladiators
5. Atlanta Reign
6. San Francisco Shock
7. Philadelphia Fusion
8. Washington Justice

Following these final seedings and thanks to their victories in the June Joust and Summer Showdown, the Shanghai Dragons got the privilege to choose their opponents first, being followed by May Melee’s winners, Dallas Fuel, and lastly the Countdown Cup runner-up, Chengdu Hunters.

All matches will be played in a best-of-five format, while the entirety of the bracket will be played on patch 1.63 with no Hero Pools. The map pool will be as follows:

• Control: Busan, Ilios, Lijiang Tower, Nepal, Oasis
• Assault: Hanamura, Temple of Anubis, Volskaya Industries
• Hybrid: Eichenwalde, King’s Row, Numbani
• Escort: Dorado, Havana, Route 66

The better-seeded team will choose the first map of each match, and for subsequent maps, the team that lost the previous map will select from the pool, while the team that won will choose whether to attack or defend first. In the case of a draw, the results of the previous map will be used to determine who picks the following map.

2021 Overwatch League Playoffs: Prize pool and pick’em predictions

The prize pool at stake will be the second biggest of the Overwatch League, as all eight teams will be playing for a total of US$3.2 million, with the champions of the bracket receiving US$1.5 million and the championship trophy.

• 1st: $1,500,000
• 2nd: $700,000
• 3rd: $350,000
• 4th: $250,000
• 5th: $200,000
• 6th: $100,000
• 7-8th: $50,000

Fans of the Overwatch League will also get the chance to win up to US$100,000, through the Perfect Bracket campaign.

To be part of the Perfect Bracket, you must go to the Overwatch League website and log in to your Blizzard account. Once done, all you need to do is fill in the bracket with your predictions about which team will advance.

At the end of the campaign, the players who got the highest leaderboard points in the 2021 Season will receive US$10,000, while those who manage to predict the full playoffs bracket and the champions, will receive the US$100,000.

You will have until 21st September at 5:30 pm PT to make your predictions.

How to watch the 2021 Overwatch League Playoffs

The 2021 Overwatch League Playoffs will kick off with the match between Dallas Fuel and Washington Justice, on 21st September at 4 pm PT, while the Grand Finals are slated to be held on 25th September at 6 pm PT.

You can follow all the actions of the 2021 Overwatch League playoffs, exclusively through its official YouTube channel.

• Read more: OWL 2022 scheduled for April start, to be played in early Overwatch 2 build

For more on all things Overwatch, check out our dedicated section filled with news, tournament results, and more.