As we promised with our earlier report on the strange case of Félix “xQc” Lengyel today sees us release the full rulebook for Blizzard’s Overwatch League. While we had originally intended to have it reviewed by legal experts and highlight any key concerns, we have decided instead to present it without comment initially. There has been much interest in the document, which we were able to obtain multiple copies of, and as such we expect there will be a glut of analysis of the document as well as speculation as to why it has taken Blizzard so long to publish these rules despite the league being well underway. We publish this in the hope that it lifts the veil on any potential unfair conditions that players may be contractually obliged to tolerate, as well as provide a much needed context for the disciplinary action that has been ongoing over the course of the season.
From our sources we are aware that at least one rule has been altered since the issuing of this rulebook, namely the section on how many professional players can stream together, and that this change was made as a result of feedback from players. The alteration of the rule was communicated internally however no fully updated rulebook has been issued to the knowledge of the individuals we spoke with. The option then was to release this version or none at all. We felt in the interests of transparency it was best to release this version.
In addition to releasing the unedited document here we have shared copies with journalists who contacted us to request a copy and we are looking forward to what work they produce as a result of that partnership.