On February 23rd (local time), Blizzard held an Overwatch League presentation at the Parnas Hotel in Samseong-dong, Seoul. After a brief video outlining the league’s structure, the global director of Overwatch eSports, Nate Nanzer, took to the stage to answer questions from the press.

Nanzer oversees everything related to Blizzard’s Overwatch eSports. Having previously worked in the company’s marketing department, he is directly charged with eSports planning, from strategy and oversight to partnership and regulations.

According to Nanzer, Overwatch League is slated to begin Q3/Q4 of this year. To encourage exceptional players to join the league, a Combine will take place. Players then will be rated based on a diverse set of criteria and sign contracts with teams to begin their careers.

Additionally, Overwatch League focuses on regions, featuring city-based teams representing major cities in their respective countries. Once the team is approved as a regional team, then their place will be guaranteed for a period of time without the fear of relegation; this will provide stability and prosperity to teams and players. Nanzer said that the company’s ultimate goal is to have the league operate all over the globe, just as traditional sports like soccer do. He also said that a region-focused league is the best way to go about achieving that goal.

The panel revealed that Blizzard will share a portion of the profits from the league to help with the teams’ consistency. Specifically, he mentioned ticket sales, broadcasting rights, merchandise, and sponsorship. Nanzer pointed out that American football, which is one of the most financially successful sports in the world, boasts 66 million viewers and $18 billion in revenues. He also added that since Overwatch has over 20 million paying players, the market viability is alive and well.

Below is the Q&A panel Nate Nanzer held with the media outlets.

Would you talk specifics about how Overwatch League will operate?

Our ultimate goal is to create a league that’s akin to the ones for traditional sports like soccer, all over the world. As a result, we had a region-focused league in mind, featuring city-based teams.

Although Korea has a very mature eSports scene, regional eSports competition is still at its infancy. To bridge the gap, we’ll provide stability to regional teams with sponsorships and such. We’re also considering things like home stadiums.

I’d like to remind you that once a team is in the league, it will not be relegated in the middle of the season. For this reason, owners will able to find stability in team operation. Since stability is the key factor in establishing a league, we will share fair profit to properly compensate players.

Do you think a region-focused league is realistic in the Korean market?

To give a definite yes would be hubris. However, I do think that Overwatch is an optimal game for eSports. I understand many Korean fans are concerned about the league being region-focused. Keep in mind that this kind of global league is the first of its kind in the world, let alone in Korea. This will be a huge endeavor for us, and we’ll provide support at every step of the way.

Some people wonder about the kinds of names the teams will have. We haven’t yet decided whether teams will have respective cities in their names. It will be determined as we get nearer to the league, based on each region’s situation.

How will the business model for establishing and maintaining teams work?

I think good content is the key. The Overwatch eSports team is a direct subdivision of the development team because we believed we needed much support and change from the development side to tailor the game to eSports. Once Overwatch League begins, we plan to add not only streams for spectating matches but also systems for player profiles and additional video content.

Based on the high quality content, we’ll bring in global and regional sponsors. We’ll share profits with teams that come from tickets, broadcasting rights, and merchandise sales.

Does Overwatch League serve as an association, or a stand-alone league?

Overwatch League is its own league. We actually struggled to come up with a name. Overwatch League is the top, premier league above all other leagues.

Are there any plans to provide home stadiums for regional teams?

It will depend on the region. Korea, which is the birthplace of eSports, already has many stadiums in place, so we’re still working on how to operate the league. We also have to hear input from team owners, so it’s hard for me to give a concrete answer at this time.

Is it possible to see Blizzard sharing profits from in-game items with the teams?

From looking at the world-wide Overwatch paying player base, we considered the game to have a healthy financial viability as an eSport. That’s why we’re trying to come up with a business model from selling tickets, broadcasting rights, and merchandise.

Although currently there’s no concrete plan to share the profits from in-game item sales, we’re seriously considering it. If we can sell items related to certain teams during a certain eSports period within the game, like we do with seasonal items now, we may be able to share the profits with the teams. We’re still discussing the subject.

Speaking of in-game, we’ll continue to support the eSports system for Overwatch, such as putting health bars above characters to improve visibility and other tweaks to make the viewing experience more intuitive. This is also a part of our effort in preparing for the league.

How far along in the discussions with organizations and businesses are you in launching Overwatch League?

We’re currently introducing Overwatch League to major regions. We’re in the process of looking for potential team owners and getting in contact with them.

Can we see coed teams in Overwatch League?

It’s entirely up to each team. We strive for diversity in many things including gender, ethnicity, and roles. Not only can teams have mixed gender players, but they can also have foreign players. Even though the league is region-focused, there’s no limitation on the player’s nationality or region in putting together a team.

Why did you go with Tracer in the official logo?

We decided on the logo after a long deliberation. Since Tracer is one of the most iconic characters in Overwatch, we thought people could easily identify the logo without reading the letters. We also made her pose more dynamic to further the sports aspect of the league.

Could you give specific dates for Overwatch League?

The Overwatch League 2017 season will commence in Q3 of 2017. During that time, the league will be in a condensed format as drafting and team building will take place. From 2018 and onward, we hope to provide a consistent timeline for regular seasons.

In the near future, the league will start in a few major regions. Once the appropriate infrastructure and enough teams are established, fans will be able to see Overwatch League happening at home stadiums. The finals won’t be at BlizzCon but at a different city each year.

Does the Combine work with a draft format?

The Combine won’t be in a draft format. Team owners will have rights to their rosters. We’ll do our best to minimize the chances of the previously established teams disbanding because of Overwatch League.

Who gets to be team owners?

We welcome every owner who wishes to invest in the league and to maintain teams in the long run. Granted, owners should have basic plans and financial resources to build teams. We can’t reveal more details about the criterion due to the privacy and confidentiality issue of organizations and businesses involved.

Once they’re selected as owners by Overwatch League, they gain permanent access to participating in the league. We’ll provide more detailed information in the near future.