Cal E-Sports Preview: Overwatch team looks to defend National Title.

What’s On The Line: National Championship (Cal’s going for a repeat), and a $100,000 prize pool

How to Watch: https://www.twitch.tv/playoverwatch

When to Watch: Saturday at ~3PM PT Semi-final vs University of Toronto; if Cal

wins, they’ll play the winner of UCSD/UC Irvine at approximately 6PM PT

What Esport You’re Watching: Overwatch

A short primer below:

At its core, Overwatch is a 6 vs 6, objective-based shooting game. Depending on the specific map, that objective will change, but the main goal will always be one of the following: a) both teams are working to maintain possession of a small area (Control), b) one team is attacking an area of the map, and the other attempts to defend both for the allotted time (Assault) or c) one team is escorting a payload — think a cart — to several checkpoints of the map by standing near it, and the other is attempting to stop them within the time limit (Hybrid/Escort).

There are 26 different heroes available to choose from, including dwarf engineers, robot monks, teenagers in mech suits, each with their own playstyle. A successful team will pay careful attention to its hero composition, striking a careful balance between survivability, situation specific usage, and attacking power, while also being reactive to the opposing composition.

Here are the members of the Cal starting lineup, and their respective specialties:

PaiGwut – support (new, senior)

izzyyyb – support (new, senior; check out our interview with him from earlier this week!)

Quantum – tank (new, sophomore)

SlurpeeThief – tank (returning, senior)

Alined – assault/flex (returning, junior)

Syeikh – assault/flex (returning, senior)

Should the Bears win, they’ll be adding to an e-trophy case that already contains:

· 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016 championships at Collegiate Starleague for Starcraft II (and a 2^nd place finish in 2015)

· a 2015 championship at Collegiate Starleague for DOTA II

· a 2015 championship at Tespa’s Heroes of the Dorm tournament (broadcasted on ESPN2!)

· a 2016 championship at Tespa’s Collegiate Series: Overwatch tournament