Blizzard has erased the entirety of the UK from the Overwatch League. In fact, the publisher has even gone so far as to erase it from the world map altogether. However, London Spitfire fans needn’t worry, as the 2018 champions will be back for the OWL 2019, even if Blizzard has seemingly forgotten that the team’s country exists in the Overwatch League 2019 season’s latest promotional video.
A brand new OWL 2019 teaser was posted to the Overwatch League’s official Twitter account, showcasing the eight new teams that will join the internal competition. These will include Chinese teams from Hangzhou, Chengdu, Guangzhou, along with Paris, Toronto, Vancouver, and new US teams from Washington D.C. and Atlanta. However, fans have spotted that one particular region is missing from the world map Blizzard used to showcase these teams; the UK.
Yes, the UK is completely missing from the above world map, meaning that England is also absent. Considering that London Spitfire represented the UK in the previous OWL season and took home the winner’s trophy, it’s a strange omission.
We can’t wait for the #OWL2019 season!
Here are the 8 new teams joining the league! pic.twitter.com/zhkrNYDlko
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) September 7, 2018
Inevitably, many were left confused by this decision, jokingly pointing towards Brexit as a potential reason behind the UK’s absence from the world map:
Hang on! Is this?
Brexit?
— Stylosa (@unitlostgaming) September 7, 2018
However, as Brexit means that the UK is leaving the European Union and not the Earth itself, then it’s doubtful that this is the true reason behind its omission. In reality, this is likely just a (very weird) mistake on Blizzard’s behalf.
The announcement of the new teams has brought with it another EU-related controversy, with some fans also wondering why there is a lack of European teams in the competition. With only London Spitfire and the new Paris team representing Europe and the Overwatch League, many hope that in future seasons more European cities will be represented. Unfortunately, with Blizzard seeing fit to wipe the UK from the world, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting a Scottish or Irish team any time soon.
