The pros and cons of the Overwatch League have been weighed up, and consequently there has been a number of changes made to the competition’s format. Such changes include the introduction of an additional eight expansion teams, who will go head-to-head from February 14th, which is a month later than last year’s event.

Proceedings starting a month later isn’t the only significant change that is set to be made. During the off-season, those behind the Overwatch League have been watching closely on how they could make adjustments going forward, which looks to include a longer break for the game’s players.

Director of franchises and competition Jon Spector told ESPN: “We wanted to look at the way things affect the league as a whole. With eight new teams coming in we’ll be broadcasting more content, but we’ll also be able to give players more of a break.”

Schedule changes does seem to be the key alteration, with the All-Star Weekend also being affected by being shifted between the second and third stages of the League to allow players more downtime. Breaks between stages will be longer than before, with bye weeks also giving players the chance to regenerate as the League rolls on.

Meanwhile, the additional teams include Paris, Toronto, Washington D.C and Atlanta, who will be joining the Atlantic Division. The Pacific Division will also be adding Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Vancouver.