Earlier today, the owner of EnVision Esports announced in a TwitLonger that the organization had released its Overwatch Contenders roster and would be leaving Overwatch for good. Artur Minacov, the aforementioned owner, cited a lack of support for Tier 2 teams, especially those unassociated with the Overwatch League, as reason for the organization’s departure.

In mid-2017, EnVision bought out Team Liquid’s slot in season one of Overwatch Contenders (NA) and advanced easily through the tournament with unexpected wins over top competitors. The roster went on to compete at the LAN finals at the Blizzard Arena where they were eliminated in the semis.

“Prior to Overwatch League, I felt like we were considered professional, and the Season 0 playoffs at the Burbank Studios showed that Overwatch cared about all the teams. It was very promising for esports organizations like EnVision,” explained Minacov. “I felt like there was a good potential for us to become a Tier 1 organization and I saw a great future for the team.”

After EnVision failed to impress at APAC 2017, the team took second place finishes in minor tournaments before once again being eliminated in the semi-finals of Overwatch Contenders, where they earned a total of $17,500.

"I feel like anything under Overwatch League does not matter at this point

But after the launch of the League, Minacov says the organization felt “downgraded” and that their chances of turning a profit were “slim to none.” Minacov claims he has invested over $200,000 into EnVision between players’ contracts, food, and travel arrangements, and the buyout of Team Liquid’s spot in 2017.

“I did everything in my power to offer a good environment for my players, but [a] few months ago, I just had to give up. Sadly, I feel like anything under Overwatch League does not matter at this point, and I hope it will change in a near future,” he said.

He went on to describe his Overwatch time and money investments as “a pure waste,” saying that while Tier 2 offers players an opportunity to prove themselves worthy of the League, there are no benefits for non-Academy organizations operating in the space. Despite participating in two seasons of Contenders, Minacov says that he had almost no interaction with Blizzard or Overwatch representatives during that time.

“Without any kind of support from Blizzard and Overwatch, there is no way in hell you can make any profits with a Tier 2 team,” said Minacov. “I am pretty sure it is [only] a matter of time before not a single organization will have a team in Overwatch, unless they are associated with an Overwatch League franchise. There [are] simply not enough revenue schemes for an [organization] to make any sort of money from Contenders.”

As for EnVision’s slot in the upcoming season of North American Contenders, Minacov wrote on Reddit that he was given less than three days to sell said spot without assistance from Blizzard, and that failure to do so would result in termination of EnVision’s slot. It is unclear who now owns it.

Minacov will be launching his own video game, The Forge Arena, in the near future and says that its accompanying esport circuit will offer financial, marketing, and management assistance for all tiers of competition.