If any element of the Overwatch League’s inaugural season has been an unequivocal success, then it is production. The engineering of aesthetics and storylines, drama and spectacle, is where Blizzard Entertainment has always excelled, and the League’s production is nothing if not a physical manifestation of what their graphic designers have accomplished in-game.

Inside the Blizzard Arena, a state of the art LED screen that encompasses the stage brings each map to life, and a halo affixed to the ceiling relays objective percentages. Breaks between maps are filled with miscellaneous player statistics and beautiful montages intended to fill air time with anything but a ticking clock as off-screen production crews prepare players and matches. Periodically, “insiders” Soe and Malik provide analysts with reprieves and audiences with interviews and hype segments.

Casters are tasked with the tall order of making competitive Overwatch more than a collection of pixels with a kill feed. It is a time-honored tradition within sports and esports to pass judgement on broadcast talent; to express adoration for this one and roll eyes at the mere opening of that one’s mouth. Commentary is and always will be divisive, and perhaps the League has skirted around the issue by providing as much variety as possible.

There is a caster duo for everyone — “UberX” excel with figurative language and the crafting of series storylines; Monte and DoA at fight analysis and fitting as many “I play Zenyatta” references into one match as possible, respectively; and, Hex and Semmler at unbridled enthusiasm and highlighting player performance.

The analyst desk is similar — Sideshow and Bren, the inseparable Britons, offer accented banter and manic energy; and where Crumbz is measured and calm, Reinforce is as loud and brash as the hero he was once known for playing.

But these individuals, as vital and accomplished as they may be, account for a mere fraction of the work that goes into each Overwatch League production. There is an expansive behind-the-scenes crew comprised of dozens of brilliant, diverse personalities whose faces will rarely be glimpsed on screen and whose names their colleagues will futility attempt to squeeze into one appreciative, celebratory tweet at the conclusion of the season.

The observation crew is perhaps the most well-known, what with their work constantly on-screen and subject to the scrutiny of the community. For this team, workdays are long and responsibilities endless. Stationed within a purportedly ice-cold control room, they are responsible for everything that makes it onto screen, from the gameplay and replays to the stats screens and montages, four days a week. Ben “CaptainPlanet” Trautman joins the broadcast team in the control room, and when analysts whip out any nifty statistics to support their claims, it is probably his doing.

Audio is an extremely important aspect of any broadcast — finding and maintaining the perfect volume ratio between commentators, in-game sounds, music, and screaming fans, both on stream and at the arena, cannot be an easy task. Similarly, good lighting, working computers, uninterrupted Internet, etc. are often taken for granted, but technicians work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure things run smoothly.

Player relations managers are another vital cog in the wheel. They are the individuals responsible for coordinating between the League and the players; attending to teams’ needs; and, keeping them on schedule — a task much easier said than done considering the League is populated by pseudo-adults.

Ask any Overwatch League player for a funny anecdote or who their favorite Blizzard employee is and they will be quick to shower a player manager with praise. “Killinger” — a manager whose adorable kittens you have likely seen on Twitter — is a particular favorite: “STAAAAAARTERS!”

Next, cameramen stationed throughout the arena capture audience reactions and player entrances as well as everything from interview segments to desk shenanigans, footage that is quickly stitched together to supplement the livestream. Each day, one person is strapped into a camera rig that, with the assistance of someone tasked with holding the camera cord, is used to broadcast live parts of the arena at the end of each map.

The League’s resident photographer is a gem in the esports industry. Easily one of Blizzard’s most brilliant acquisitions, Robert Paul spends each broadcast hustling around the arena, snapping photo after photo of fans, of players, of broadcast talent — anything, basically, that captures the essence, energy, and history of the Overwatch League. 

Meanwhile, a team of makeup artists and stylists are on stand-by to touch up the looks of casters, analysts, and players. “Mama Rosa” is the leader of the pack, a bubbly, sassy personality who reportedly delights in the teasing of players lucky enough to find their way into her salon chair.

And if you enjoy free swag on the League’s themed days or the flare of the Florida Mayhem’s entrances, then you can direct some of your praise to Les, a cool, curly-haired manager who helps dreams become reality. Any extravagant walkout you have seen this season was likely pitched to him on entirely too short notice and pulled off with just a bit of magic.

The list goes on and on. The Overwatch League team encompasses everyone from technicians to the guys who deliver catering to the PR team who manages the press to the Commissioner himself. Each is valued and important, and although some of their work may go unrecognized by the masses, the inaugural season would have been a little poorer without any of them.