The Overwatch League is starting up soon and Overwatch Contenders will be right on its heels. Contenders fans got some news today regarding details on how the 2022 season will go down.

Along with the Overwatch League, Contenders will also be played on a beta build of Overwatch 2, which switches from a six-vs-six composition to five-vs-five and includes new maps, modes, and new hero Sojourn.

Another big shift for Contenders is the switch to an open-registration format, where teams will be able to qualify for big events in a single and double-elimination format. But some top-performing teams from the 2021 season will be invited to go directly to the first event without having to qualify.

The first series of tournaments will be held after the first PvP beta for Overwatch 2 has concluded, meaning the Overwatch League is likely to start way before Contenders has its first series of tournaments. The events will all still be held in the same regions as before, which consists of North America, Europe, China, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

Lastly, Overwatch Contenders will continue to have a $1.3 million prize pool over the course of the season, which is the same as it was in 2021. There are no details yet as to how the prize pool will be spread over the course of the season.

More information is soon to come, including schedules, prizing, registration, and more. Because it’s confirmed that the Contenders season won’t start until the end of the first PvP beta, and because there is no set date for when the PvP beta will end, fans will have to wait to see when exactly the season will begin.