Many people don't look at e-sports as an actual sport. They will argue that these athletes just sit there and move their hands. Giving you the definition of the word "sport" would prove that e-sports are in fact a type of sport, but I digress. E-sports have been increasing in popularity every year, especially because of Fortnite. But in my opinion, the biggest thing that has come to E-sports has got to be the "Overwatch League." While E-sports has been around for a while, there is something about the "Overwatch League" that has that "sports" connection to it. I believe the "Overwatch League" was a huge success.

E-sports have been around for decades, but the "Overwatch League," or "OWL," just started in 2018. The first season of the league wrapped up a few weeks ago, and the London Spitfire won the league. It was a thrilling season that showcased the talents of dozens of players. For those of you who don't know what the "OWL" is, it is a league for Overwatch players. There are two teams of six battling against each other to win the game. Communication may be as important in this sport than any other because one tiny mistake can cost you a match. There are twelve current teams, with more on the way, that range from San Francisco to Seoul, South Korea. The importance behind using major cities as team names better solidifies the legitimacy of the league. In e-sports, teams just use random names, but in the "OWL" you can say, "I love how New York just beat Dallas" and it sounds just like if I were talking about football or any other sport.

I have never watched e-sports before the "OWL", so I may be biased, but this was a great entrance into the competitive world of video games. I love football and Baseball, and by the looks of me, you may never know that I am also a Los Angeles Gladiators fan, from the "OWL". "OWL" has done a great job with casting announcers and players that fit the scheme of a sport, and that is what e-sports was lacking before. In prior games, normal people wouldn't usually tune in, because they were nerdy, or the game was too confusing. But the "OWL" addresses both of these issues in their league, and it attracted me into it. You could catch all of the postseason games on ESPN and soon to be NBC which solidifies the league even more. This is really professional and it's just a matter of time until more people get into it.

Over the summer, I went to a bar with some pals, to watch the postseason for the "OWL." While I fully expected dirty looks and some laughs, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people that watched it with me. Random people that have never heard of "Overwatch" started to watch, and it sheds light on my point, this league was a success. The vibrant colors from the game, the impressive display of talent by the players, and the crazy amount of action that takes place can attract people that have never watched e-sports. The "OWL" can increase the popularity of e-sports and this was just season one. With so much more to come from the league, I expect all of the e-sports to boom by millions in the future. The "OWL" came in with a bang and will show the world what e-sports are about. Beware, haters, because the world needs more heroes.