Twitch Streamer Criticizes Overwatch League for Mismanagement and High Costs
In a recent stream, popular Twitch streamer Marcus “djWHEAT” Graham, who previously worked as the head of creator development at Twitch, openly shared his thoughts on the shortcomings of the Overwatch League (OWL). Having left his position at Twitch in November, djWHEAT now feels free to voice his opinions on the league.
“While I was employed at Twitch, I couldn’t publicly talk about OWL for obvious reasons,” stated djWHEAT. “But believe me, I was the guy in every single meeting saying ‘this is stupid, and you’re all stupid.'”
According to djWHEAT, his disapproval of the league quickly earned him a reputation among the OWL team. The Overwatch esports league offered franchise spots at high prices, ranging from $30 to $60 million, but supposedly provided little return on investment. “Everyone who worked on the team back then can confirm that they got tired of me constantly talking about how terrible of a deal this was for about a year and a half,” djWHEAT explained.
The streamer’s criticism extended to the massive layoffs that affected both the Overwatch League and the Call of Duty League. In March of last year, 190 employees were let go at Activision Blizzard. “It wasn’t a pleasant experience,” djWHEAT stated. “And I’ll tell you why it was upsetting. Because that league cost a significant amount of money, and a year later, 11 of my staff members were laid off. So I was especially angry.”
In addition to his personal grievances, djWHEAT criticized the overall mismanagement of the Overwatch League. “Perhaps those people wouldn’t have lost their jobs if someone hadn’t wanted every Overwatch professional gamer to drive a Lamborghini and date pornstars,” djWHEAT expressed.
The Overwatch League has faced numerous challenges throughout its five competitive seasons, including player departures, unfulfilled financial promises, and significant layoffs. DjWHEAT’s comments provide some insights into the inner workings of one of esports’ largest and most controversial leagues.