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Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) 2026 Midseason Championship: Teams, Schedule, and More
Stage 2 of the 2026 Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) is set to conclude with the Midseason Championship, scheduled to run from July 29 to August 2. This year's edition coincides with the Esports World Cup, held in Paris, France.
With a $1 million prize pool on the line, 16 of the world's best Overwatch teams are ready to compete in front of a global audience at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, vying for the Overwatch trophy at the third Esports World Cup.
The previous two editions of the annual event saw Team Falcons (2025) and Crazy Raccoon (2024) emerge victorious. The latter also had a strong showing earlier this season, winning the Champions Clash. Another team to watch is ZETA DIVISION. After winning both stages of OWCS Korea and OWCS Asia Stage 1 this year, the team looks poised to claim an international trophy as well.
Format
The tournament will begin with a Group Stage in which the 16 teams will be divided into two groups. After a double-elimination bracket, each group will promote 4 teams to the playoffs. All matches in this stage will be first-to-two (Ft2).
The eight‑team playoffs will feature a single‑elimination bracket, with the quarterfinals and semifinals played as first‑to‑three (Ft3) and the Grand Final as first‑to‑four (Ft4).
Teams
Group A
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Tank |
Damage |
Support |
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Group B
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Team |
Tank |
Damage |
Support |
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Map Pool
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Game Mode |
Maps |
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Control |
Busan |
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Nepal | |
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Samoa | |
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Escort |
Junkertown |
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Route 66 | |
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Shambali Monastery | |
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Hybrid |
Eichenwalde |
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Paraiso | |
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Neon Junction | |
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Push |
Colosseo |
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Esperanca | |
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Flashpoint |
Aatlis |
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New Junk City | |
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Suravasa |
OWCS Midseason Championship (EWC 2026) Schedule
Group Stage
This phase of the tournament will begin with the opening matches of Group B, followed by Group A. The winning teams will advance to the upper bracket, while the losing teams will be sent to their respective group's lower bracket, where they will be one step away from elimination.
Wednesday, July 29
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Match |
US (PDT) |
Europe (CEST) |
Japan/Korea (JST/KST) |
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3:00 am |
12:00 pm |
7:00 pm | |
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4:15 am |
1:15 pm |
8:15 pm | |
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5:30 am |
2:30 pm |
9:30 pm | |
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6:45 am |
3:45 pm |
10:45 pm | |
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8:00 am |
5:00 pm |
12:00 am (July 30) | |
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9:15 am |
6:15 pm |
1:15 am (July 30) | |
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10:30 am |
7:30 pm |
2:30 am (July 30) | |
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11:45 am |
8:45 pm |
3:45 am (July 30) |
Thursday, July 30
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Match |
US (PDT) |
Europe (CEST) |
Japan/Korea (JST/KST) |
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3 am |
12 pm |
7 pm | |
| Weibo Gaming vs Falcons |
4:15 am |
1:15 pm |
8:15 pm |
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5:30 am |
2:30 pm |
9:30 pm | |
| Team Secret vs JD Gaming |
6:45 am |
3:45 pm |
10:45 pm |
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8 am |
5 pm |
12 am (July 31) | |
| Team Liquid vs Dallas Fuel |
9:15 am |
6:15 pm |
1:15 am (July 31) |
Friday, July 31
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Match |
US (PDT) |
Europe (CEST) |
Japan/Korea (JST/KST) |
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3 am |
12 pm |
7 pm | |
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4:15 am |
1:15 pm |
8:15 pm | |
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5:30 am |
2:30 pm |
9:30 pm | |
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6:45 am |
3:45 pm |
10:45 pm | |
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8 am |
5 pm |
12 am (August 1) | |
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9:15 am |
6:15 pm |
1:15 am (August 1) |
Playoff Schedule
Saturday, August 1
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Match |
US (PDT) |
Europe (CEST) |
Japan/Korea (JST/KST) |
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Quarterfinal #1 |
3 am |
12 pm |
7 pm |
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Quarterfinal #2 |
4:45 am |
1:45 pm |
8:45 pm |
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Quarterfinal #3 |
6:30 am |
3:30 pm |
10:30 pm |
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Quarterfinal #4 |
8:15 am |
5:15 pm |
12:15 am (August 2) |
Sunday, August 2
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Match |
US (PDT) |
Europe (CEST) |
Japan/Korea (JST/KST) |
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Semifinal #1 |
3 am |
12 pm |
7 pm |
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Semifinal #2 |
4:45 am |
1:45 pm |
8:45 pm |
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3rd Place Match |
6:45 am |
3:45 pm |
10:45 pm |
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Grand Final |
8:30 am |
5:30 pm |
12:30 am (August 2) |
Where to Watch Overwatch at Esports World Cup 2026 (OWCS Midseason Championship)
The Overwatch Champions Series 2026 Midseason Championship (EWC 2026) will be broadcast live on Blizzard's official channels across various streaming platforms. The tournament will begin with the ZETA DIVISION vs VARREL match at 3 am PDT/ 12 pm CEST/ 7 pm JST/KST on July 29, 2026.
Official streams will be available in English, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Below are the links:
You can also follow OWCS Midseason Championship 2026 live on Strafe.
Follow Strafe Esports for the latest Overwatch news, and our X account for the latest content and coverage. Also, stay tuned to Strafe's YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and more.
Featured Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment
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