[DigitalToday reporter Ho-jung Lee] SOOP said on Sunday it had been selected as the exclusive Korean-language broadcast partner for the 2026 season of the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS).

That makes SOOP the domestic OWCS broadcaster for a second straight year. Local users will be able to watch all matches in up to 1440p high definition. During the broadcast period, the company will also run various promotions, including viewer-participation drops rewards and match prediction events.

OWCS Asia Korea, hosted by Blizzard Entertainment and WDG, will run a total of 3 stages a year. Top teams from each stage will earn spots in international tournaments and compete on the global stage, including the 2026 OWCS Champions Clash.

Stage 1 of the regular season opens in March. Based on last season's results, a total of 6 teams, including CR, FLC, T1, ZETA, WAE and ONG, have secured automatic qualification. The remaining teams will be selected through a separate open tournament.

This year, a new preseason bootcamp event tournament will be held ahead of the regular season. The tournament, to be held in Seoul for 3 days starting on Feb. 13, will feature 11 partner teams and 1 invited team competing in match play. SOOP plans to broadcast all tournaments live, from the preseason through the world final, with professional commentary.