Sandra is at the helm of new ZealandCasinos content creation. With more than five years of experience in the field of iGaming, working in the development and design of games, she is in charge of evaluating the sites that we recommend on the platform and writing the most detailed game guides that you will find in English. He is also a dedicated fan of casino games and is always learning something new about them.
[email protected]
Legally approved content
Shortly after launching globally in 2016, Overwatch racked up 119 million hours played in just one week. Subsequent Numbers only grew, making the popularity of the game unquestionable. Following the wave of similar games, Overwatch was soon considered an e-sport with a competitive and professional scene that quickly took shape and conquered the world. In this guide, we introduce the game to newbies and teach those interested how to make betting on Overwatch from New Zealand.
Additionally, here we recommend trusted sites to place your bets on Overwatch, a list with upcoming events and tournaments, educational resources and informative content about the game. It is worth mentioning that it is not necessary to know how to play to bet on e-sport. However, it is recommended that you understand the video game entirely before risking money on betting. That is exactly why, in this guide, we first clarify the basic principles of the game (plot, objectives, gameplay, game modes, among others) and then we go to the subject of betting.
If you already play Overwatch, and you are interested in how and where to bet, skip directly to the section entitled “Betting Guide”. On the other hand, if you haven't played it yet and want to learn more about it, we recommend reading the entire article and also consulting the resource and news links that we have separated at the end of the page.
Table of contents
Learn the story behind the game
Overwatch is Blizzard Entertainment's fourth major video game franchise. Its creation followed the cancellation of the game Titan , which was the company's big bet and from which he borrowed several elements. Overwatch it was based on the success of multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) and first-person shooter (FPS)style games , which emphasize teamwork and fighting enemies.
The universe created by the game takes place in a futuristic setting of the Earth after a global crisis. Because of this storyline, its creators wanted to create a diverse cast of heroes, representing diverse ethnicities.
During the year 2015, the video game went into beta mode for up to 10 million players. After its worldwide release in 2016, it was acclaimed by users and critics, who recognized the diversity of the heroes, the pleasant gameplay and the colorful style of its design. Today, it is considered one of the greatest video games of all time, having received several awards over the past few years. The game is also recognized as one of the current top esports . The developer itself, Blizzard Entertainment, encourages worldwide competition and professional tournaments, such as the Overwatch League, which we will talk about later in this article.
Basic idea of the game
Created in 2016 by Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch is the result of a mixture of the multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genres. It was specially made for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. A week after its release, the game already counted seven million sales, putting it side by side with successes such as League of Legends , Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Call of Duty. Shortly thereafter, its popularity made it one of the best-known esports around the world. After the official release of the game, Blizzard has already released new characters, maps and game modes.
In Overwatch , each player controls a hero in competitive matches with two teams of six people each. There are 20 heroes in the game, among which you can freely choose which one you want to play with. Each of them has specific abilities divided into three large categories, which we will see in detail below: damage, tank and support.
The two teams face each other on one map per match. Your objectives vary across game modes, but in the more traditional and competitive mode, each team must defend certain structures on the map while attempting to destroy enemy structures. Other game modes are also present, such as the casual and the arcade . Competitive modes are used during professional e-sport competitions.
Plot
The story behind the game is explained and described through animated videos starring the heroes. Additional information is also distributed by Blizzard.
The story takes place 60 years in the future and 30 years after the resolution of the call Omnic Crisis . Before the crisis, humanity was in its most prosperous period so far, thanks to technological development. Humans have been able to develop robots with artificial intelligence and named them Omnics . Omnics were produced worldwide in automated facilities called omniums .
Shortly after being integrated into society, Omnics began to be treated as people. The Omnic Crisis only began when the omniums began producing a series of hostile and lethal robots, which rebelled against the humans. The United Nations (UN) quickly formed Overwatch, an international task force made to combat the omnic threat and restore peace.
Two veteran soldiers were placed at the head of the task force: Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison. Although they successfully faced the hostile robot revolution, a disagreement between Reyes and Morrison destabilized the organization. Morrison became the leader of Overwatch, while Reyes took charge of Blackwatch, a covert operations division.
The organization maintained world peace for several decades, during the period that became known as the Overwatch Generation. The disagreement between its leaders, however, escalated and soon several allegations of irregularities within the organization were raised. This led to public protests and conflicts among its members, which prompted the UN to investigate the situation. At the same time as this was happening, an explosion destroyed Overwatch's headquarters in Switzerland, reportedly killing Morrison and Reyes, among other members. Proceeding from this, the UN passed the Petras law, which dismantled the organization and banned any activity related to it.
The game takes place six years after the passage of the Petras law. Without the organization, corporations began to take over and terrorism broke out in parts of the globe. There were even signs of a second Omnic Crisis in Russia. A former member of Overwatch, Winston, then decides to restore the organization, reuniting old and new members.
Soon, it is also revealed that Reyes and Morrison were not killed in the explosion in Switzerland, which, in fact, was the result of a battle between them: Morrison became a masked vigilante known as Soldier: 76, who is trying to figure out the reasons why Overwatch was dismantled. Reyes, in turn, joined the criminal organization Talon and became "Reaper", a terrorist disguised as Death.
Heroes
The heroes of the game are divided into three large categories. Each of them fulfills a specific goal in the game and in your team. The categories are:
- Support : Support heroes are responsible for protecting and strengthening your team. They have abilities capable of healing and defending their allies, increasing their speed and damage power. When you choose a support character, you are the survival base of your team.
- Tank : Heroes with a tank role are more resistant to damage from other heroes, and the best characters to destroy fortified positions, such as enemies clustered in choke points. When you choose a tank hero, you must lead your team's attacks.
- Damage : Damage heroes are the best at inflicting damage on enemies. Therefore, they are the ones most responsible for searching, attacking and defeating opponents. They carry special tools and abilities that aid in the attack.
Despite having distinct abilities and roles, all heroes can perform melee, attack and defense fights. It is necessary to know the skills of each hero to be able to assemble a balanced team, which covers all functions and positions effectively.
Skill
Abilities within the game universe are the unique powers and equipment that heroes use to defeat their enemies, defend the team, and move around the map. They are key to winning a match.
Each hero has a primary weapon, which does not need ammunition. This is the most used weapon during the game.
Each hero also features distinct movement and support abilities. Teleportation and speed multiplier are just two of many examples. Certain abilities are limited, which means they will need to reach a certain time at rest to recharge.
Certain abilities are limited, meaning they will need to reach a certain time at rest to recharge.
Supreme skills
These are a subcategory of abilities and are powerful enough to change the course of a match. Supreme skills are automatically loaded throughout the game for each hero. To charge them faster, deal as much damage as possible to your enemies. As long as you don't change characters during the match, the charge of your supreme ability will remain even if you die.
Game modes
There are six game modes currently available. You can choose any of them to play depending on your goals.
- Training camp : Special mode to train and test your skills against robots. This mode is recommended for new players or those who want to improve their game tactics using a new hero.
- Play and practice versus GO : In this mode, players face opponents controlled by artificial intelligence on any map. You can use this mode to test different maps and learn the best way to use each hero.
- Quick play : Take on other players online in a quick match. In this mode, all players placed together have the same skill level.
- Custom game : Play an online match with the game rules modified by you. For example, it is possible to disable certain heroes, increase the charge rate of the supreme skill, decrease certain skills, etc.
- Arcade : In this mode, players take part in experimental matches with teams of various sizes, changeable rules and weekly rewards.
- Competitive play : It is the main game mode and the one used for professional competitions. In it, you play online against other players and your performance in each match is counted. In the end, you get points for moving up in the World Player Rankings.
Objectives
Goals are the duties of teams during a match. Overwatch offers a wide range of objectives to players , which makes the game quite entertaining, since you can take turns between them and not be constantly doing the same thing.
The objectives are divided by the maps. That is, each map in the game presents different goals that teams must fulfill. Each map can have more than one objective. See the full list of objectives that you will find on the game maps below:
- Elimination : Head-to-head matches (1×1) or in teams of three (3×3). Each team / player must eliminate all opponents. Whoever fulfills this goal first wins the match.
- Attack / escort : Teams are divided between attackers and defenders. Attackers must capture a cargo and take it to its destination. Defenders must stop them.
- Fight to the death : Eight players face off in round-robin matches, each for themselves. Victory is decided by the one who causes the most eliminations.
- Attack : Teams are divided between attackers and defenders. The attackers fight to achieve a series of objectives, while the defenders stop their progress until time runs out.
- Team combat to the death : Two teams of four players face each other. The one who causes the most eliminations first, wins the match.
- Capture the flag : The two teams compete to capture the enemy team's flag first, while they must defend their own flag.
- Escort : Teams are divided between attackers and defenders. The team of attackers escorts a cargo to a certain delivery point. At the same time, defenders must prevent the cargo from reaching its destination before time runs out.
- Control : Two teams fight to capture and secure one goal at a time. The first team to win two rounds wins the match.
Gameplay
Different game modes are presented and players can choose the ones they want to play. They are primarily intended for combat between two teams of six players. To get started, you choose one of more than 20 heroes, which are divided into three categories: damage, tank and support.
Each hero is different not only aesthetically, but also in their abilities and attributes, such as speed, attacks, defenses, and so on. Players have the freedom to switch heroes during the course of a match. This factor was added to the game precisely to encourage the more dynamic composition of the teams.
To select a hero, take into account the chosen map. As you will be playing within a team, it is also important that it strikes a balance between all types of hero. Knowing the goals of the game can also help. They will be determined by the chosen game mode and map. For example, if your goal in the match is to defend a structure, then a larger number of defensive heroes will be needed in your team.
A match ends when the objectives are fully achieved. At the end, all players can see each other's contributions, vote for the best players, send feedback on the match and watch the Match Play.
Get to know below some more essential components of the game before starting your match.
- Standard of living: The amount of attacks a character can receive is represented by their life. If your life level reaches zero, the character “dies", but he can resurface in a short time. Life level optimizers can be found in fixed locations across all maps or in the abilities of some heroes (especially support heroes).
- Level of experience : In competitive matches, you earn points in the overall ranking of the game. With Points, you can level up your experience and unlock new customization options to make your heroes ' designs unique.
- Teamwork: Teamwork and communication between players is essential. Don't face the map alone, if you can help it. Team up with your allies to coordinate your attacks and maximize your chances of winning.
- Survival Shields : You can increase your survivability through shields and armor, which absorb damage before decreasing health.
- Obstruction points : On the maps there are so-called obstruction points , which are narrow areas that characters must pass through to achieve their goals. It is common for intense battles to unfold in these areas. Therefore, plan your defense and attack well at these times.
- Item : The game offers item boxes to players when they level up in the overall ranking. These boxes bring a random selection of customization options. You can also purchase boxes from the in-Game Store or Blizzard Shop.
- Achievements and trophies : When you make good moves, a commemorative badge of Honor is unlocked. You can view the details of your achievements and trophies and share them with your friends in the “career overview”panel.
Overwatch as an e-sport
Overwatch it established itself as an e-sport shortly after its launch (read more about esports in our guide bets on e-sports ). Its reception by the players has been impressive, which means that the game has gained attention on a worldwide scale. After that, professional tournaments were quickly created, and their competitive scene spread to almost every continent.
Today, many believe that Overwatch, as an e-sport, has had better days. In fact, their numbers among viewers, participants, prizes and number of tournaments do not come close to the most popular e-sports of the moment: LoL and Dota 2 .
Like all Esports, Overwatch relies heavily on teamwork. Each player must fulfill a certain role with his hero, and everyone must be in full communication in order to be successful as a team. This means that when betting on Overwatch, researching and getting to know the makeup of a team, what languages they speak and how they've been playing together can give you a huge advantage.
Most competitions between teams are made by a single match (best of one). Since the game takes place quite quickly and nimbly, a lot of surprises can happen in the time of one match.
Betting guide
The popularity of e-sports has grown tremendously in recent years. Along with this, the betting scene has also become more competitive. New bettors arrive all the time, trying to win their piece of all the money that this market moves.
Betting on esports is not difficult, but you need to learn about online betting first. Lucky for you, we have already written and published online betting guides and Complete Sports Betting manuals . While there are some essential differences between esports betting and betting on traditional sports such as football and American football, their basis is similar if not the same.
Odds, bet types, strategies, bet amount, potential risk – it doesn't matter if it's Overwatch, StarCraft II or basketball betting. One must understand all these factors in order to be able to place bets and profit consistently. Also, if you are going to bet on esports, it is best to know exactly everything you can about the game in question. Rather than betting on any game and match available, the smartest bettor will focus on a particular game in order to have an advantage over the bookie.
The fact that esports are much newer than traditional sports can bring both advantages and disadvantages. The trend is that the rules, competitions and the format of esports teams will still change a lot in the coming years. The bettor, therefore, must be aware of these changes so as not to compromise his bets.
In this section, we present all the factors you should keep in mind if you want to bet and profit from Overwatch.
What you need to know to start betting
There are some basic betting knowledge that you need to know before depositing your money with a bookmaker. We cover them in detail in our guide on how to place e-sports bets online . There, you can find a beginner's guide to online betting. Here we will deal more specifically with betting on Overwatch.
In five points, we summarize betting strategies and factors you need to know to bet more consciously and make better deals.
- Analyze whenever you can the teams that will be playing the match. Knowing which maps they do best on – as well as their strengths and weaknesses – can give you a huge advantage over other bettors. To do this, use specialized sites and forums of players, where you will find this kind of information. One of the keys to success in betting on Overwatch is to have access to valuable information before everyone else. Social media is an important tool today to inform yourself about e-sports.
- Also research the tournament in question, to know its format and be aware of the teams that will face each other.
- Pay attention to the composition of the teams. In esports, players are constantly being bought and changing teams, no matter the day or time. This can dramatically influence the performance of the teams in question, both for better and worse.
- In esports, the games, maps, heroes and rules are susceptible to change. Betting on esports can be a challenge. Any update or change to the game made by Blizzard can profoundly alter the performance of the players. Hero updates, in particular, can increase or decrease their abilities and influence their popularity among players, as well as the pros ' own gameplay.
- Do not get carried away by the individual talent of the players. Teamwork, for the most part, is more important than the popularity of a particular professional.
Odds and betting markets
Before placing any type of bet on sports or esports, it is necessary to understand the odds, their different formats and what they mean. We explain in detail the role of odds and probabilities in our article how to profit from sports betting . Once you become familiar with the odds in their different formats, you can understand and calculate the potential profit from a bet.
As for the open betting markets for Overwatch, they are very similar to those of other esports. You can bet on the outcome of a match (single bet), handicap, or on the winner of a tournament. The odds vary according to the latest results and the performance of the teams.
Where to watch the matches?
Professional tournaments can be watched on the main eSports streamer channels: Twitch.tv and YouTube. In either of the two, you will be able to find matches happening live around the world or entire matches that have already happened.
Live betting
It is common that there is the possibility of placing live bets on the most crowded matches, such as the finals of a major championship. Live betting on an e-sport works in the same way as a live bet placed on traditional sports. It is a bet made during the match, that is, while the game is taking place.
It is assumed that those who bet live are following the game broadcast and thus can make better decisions about which team is doing better and has better chances of winning.
Best sites to bet
Following the impressive success of e-sports, specialized betting sites have been created in recent years. There are large sites and smaller sites, and bettors today have more options than time to visit them all.
As gamblers, we know that there is a lot of insecurity and fear on the part of New Zealand bettors when dealing with betting sites. Not all of them are reliable, and some blatantly deceive their users. That is why we have tested, evaluated and written about our experience on various websites and casinos. Thus, we offer an unbiased and honest view to players who want to play on reliable and safe sites.
You can find all our reviews on the main menu at New ZealandCasinos. We also separate one special guide to best e-sports sites , in which you can read how we evaluate the sites and know our criteria for classifying them. Below, we also separate a list of the best sites to place bets on Overwatch , which only contain companies that we have already reviewed and that have received good ratings in our reviews. Take advantage of these recommendations to place your bets on safe sites.
Competitions and tournaments
Overwatch was not initially created to become an e-sport. During the beta period, however, the creation team recognized that the game had enormous potential to become a hit with both players and viewers. Thus, they included and planned functionalities to promote the competitive and professional scene of the game. This included the introduction of competitive mode, which was done months after the game's release.
In 2016, Overwatch was considered by the media to have great potential to become one of the next most popular esports, for three main reasons: first, for being quite distinct (in terms of design) from the already established genre esports such as CS:GO and Call of Duty; second, for featuring enough variety of maps and characters; and third, for having Blizzard's support to maintain the game.
The first organized Overwatch competition began in 2016, a few months after the game's release. Its organizer, ESL, hosted the first international competition, called Overwatch Atlantic Showdown , which offered a prize of over one hundred thousand dollars. Soon after, Turner Broadcasting's ELeague announced the first Overwatch Open Tournament , with a prize pool of $300,000.
Below, check out the top current Overwatch events.
World Cup
In November 2016, Blizzard hosted its own event, called the Overwatch World Cup, which allowed users to vote for teams to represent their country or region. The standout region for the game is certainly South Korea, where the number of players has surpassed the number of League of Legends players.
The Overwatch World Cup hosts national teams from around the world. It is the player community itself that chooses through a vote the teams that deserve to represent their country.
In the 2018 edition, the 24 qualified countries were divided into four groups. The top two in each group qualify for the world eight at BlizzCon. New Zealand were among the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and the matches, as usual, were quite competitive and interesting to watch.
Open Division
Open Division is a program created by Blizzard to encourage Overwatch players to become professional gamers. Through it, you can test your skills in the game and compete with other players until you become one of the best players in your region (divided into South Korea, China, Australia, South America, North America and Europe).
To get started, you need to be playing Overwatch on a Windows PC. Turn on Quick Play to start your training and learn the basics of Team Roles and experience playing with all the heroes to find your favorites. As you level up, you'll learn map layouts and likely make allies.
When you reach Level 25, you will start playing competitively to determine your ranking. You will learn more and more about teamwork and gain experience to hone your skills. The next step is to enter the Open Division, in which you will face the best players in your region in structured championships.
Overwatch League (OWL)
The Overwatch League is an annual championship that uses fixed teams in league positions, similar to what happens in traditional sports. Players are hired to be part of these teams and receive a fixed salary. The first season of the Overwatch League kicked off in early 2018 in California, with teams competing for a $ 3.5 million prize pool.
Upcoming Events
| Event | Month/year | Local | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Series | October/2018 | Shanghai, China | - |
| Pacific Championship | October/2018 | Taipei, Taiwan | $274,000 |
| Contenders Season One | October/2018 | Warsaw, Poland | $185,000 |
| APAC Premier | October/2018 | Shanghai, China | $235,000 |
| APEX | October/2018 | South Korea | $177,000 |
| World Cup 2018 | November/2018 | Anaheim, USA | $128,000 |
Betting tips, news and informative sites
As the game is regularly updated, placing bets on Overwatch without having up-to-date information can be a bit difficult. Knowing the best websites and news channels can help you make better decisions when betting. We can even state that this kind of knowledge can, in fact, mean the difference between a won and a lost bet. Check out the channels that we have separated below to keep you informed about the game:
- Official Twitter: @PlayOverwatch it is the official channel of the game. In it, you can find game updates and various game information in the form of videos and articles. As updates made to the game can modify the dynamics of the game, the release of new characters can change the composition of teams, so it is good to be informed about this news. Additionally, you'll find interviews with the game's creative team and professional players. They are a great means to cover your knowledge of the game and this will certainly be beneficial at the time of your bets.
- The official Twitter Overwatch League: @OverwatchLeague it is the official channel of OWL. In it, you can find statistics for the season, match schedules and information about the lineup of teams on a regular basis. If you are going to bet on OWL matches, following this channel is essential. There, they also post the link to view the matches before they start. Short clips from previous matches are also shown to highlight good moves and the best moments of the match.
- Overwatch Wiki : Online encyclopedia where you can learn all about the game. Visit Gamepedia whenever you have any questions or to learn more about the game universe.
As tips, we separate the three best strategies you can make during your bets on Overwatch below:
- Information is power : Online, dozens of platforms and websites dedicated to the game are available. Take advantage of them, connect with other players and bettors to always stay abreast of game news, events, tournaments and global competitions. Additionally, watch the matches whenever you can. You can access them through the free streamers Twitch.tv and YouTube.
- Study the bets : To become a successful bettor, it is not enough to study the game. Also study the universe of online betting. Read about odds, probabilities, profit, statistics and everything you can find. Here at New ZealandCasinos we have several guides on online betting. Take advantage of this content.
- Register your bets : Learn from your mistakes and successes. After all, it is in practice that you learn the most. By recording your bets, you can then analyze them to find out where you made mistakes and hits.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a computer game and video game available for Windows, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. It was released in 2016 and is in the multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) genre and also considered multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA). It is regarded as an e-sport, that is, an electronic sport, since official tournaments and professional teams have been created around the video game.
Due to the popularity of the game, there are several sports betting sites that offer Overwatch betting. To start betting, you need to register on the site of your choice, make an initial money deposit and choose a match to bet on. Here at New ZealandCasinos we recommend the safest sites to bet on from New Zealand. To read a complete guide on how to place a bet, visit our
complete manual on how to bet on esports
.
Yep. You don't have to play to bet. However, we strongly recommend that you learn about the game universe before placing your bets. Thus, you improve your chances of profiting. Otherwise, you have little chance of winning a bet. If you are not interested in playing, you can access informative platforms about the game, visit the links that we have separated in this guide and talk to other bettors and players to learn more about the Overwatch universe.
We have written a special guide to recommend the best betting sites. In it, you can see how we rank the sites and you can access our reviews to find out which ones offer the best advantages.
Yep. On some sites, you will be able to find live bets on matches that are currently taking place. Keep an eye on the schedule of matches and tournaments so as not to miss the chances of placing live bets.
No. Despite the fact that there are already official tournaments in the game, it is not often that you will find open bets to make. Stay tuned to the tournament schedule to find out when the next matches will be.
Bet on E-sport Overwatch
In this guide, you have learned how the Overwatch universe works, what the objectives of the game are, the plot of the story and the motivations of the teams. We have also seen how to place bets on professional matches since New Zealand. We have brought resources that can help you make more accurate bets and we have provided several additional articles that are quite didactic and can be useful to learn basic factors of online betting.
Hopefully, after learning and studying with our content, you will be more than prepared to place your first bets. Don't forget to bet responsibly and have fun, after all, betting is just a form of entertainment. Good luck!
(New Zealand lawyer, 36 years experience)
Read and approved: July 23
Updated: July 23
Joseph Kelly is the legal advisor of the creativegiants.co.nz the content of the website has been reviewed and is in accordance with current New Zealand legislation.
The informative and educational content of this portal complies with New Zealand legislation.
[email protected]
LinkedIn
Related Articles
