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The 2023 Overwatch League playoffs were the postseason tournament of the 2023 Overwatch League regular season . The tournament began on September 28 and concluded with the 2023 Grand Finals , the sixth championship match of the Overwatch League (OWL), on October 1. Eight teams contested the OWL playoffs, beginning with two four-team double-elimination tournaments leading into a four-team single-elimination tournament . All playoff matches took place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto , Canada.
The defending OWL champions were the Dallas Fuel , who won the title against the San Francisco Shock in the 2022 OWL Grand Finals .[ 1]
Eight teams qualified for the season playoffs. In the league's West region, five teams qualified: the top three teams based on the Western regular season standings and the top two teams from the Western play-in tournament . In the league's East region, three teams qualified: the top two teams based on the Eastern regular season standings and the top team from the Eastern play-in tournament.[ 2]
The playoffs were divided into two phases. It started with two four-team double-elimination tournaments . The top two teams from each group then moved on to a four-team single-elimination Grand Finals bracket, which culminated in the Grand Finals. The composition of the groups was determined through a draft process, during which top-seeded teams selected their opponents for the opposing bracket. Teams continued to select their opponents until all teams were accounted for.[ 3] [ 4] Teams were seeded based on the order of these selections.[ 5] Except for the Grand Finals match, all other matches adhered to a best-of-five series format, while the finals were played as a best-of-seven series.[ 3]
The 2023 playoffs were played at the Mattamy Athletic Centre , also known as Maple Leaf Gardens.
All playoff matches were played at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto , Canada. The venue also hosted the OWL 2022 Summer Showdown . The location was chosen in conjunction with a deal made between the Overwatch League and the Toronto Defiant , wherein the Defiant had agreed to host the event. It was the first time that the Grand Finals were held outside of the United States.[ 6] [ 7]
Bracket A
Upper round 1 Upper final Advance to Grand Finals Bracket September 28 1 Atlanta Reign 2 September 29 4 Hangzhou Spark 3 4 Hangzhou Spark 3 September 28 A1 Hangzhou Spark 3 Boston Uprising 2 2 London Spitfire 1 3 Boston Uprising 3 Lower round 1 Lower final September 30 September 29 3 Boston Uprising 3 A2 Boston Uprising 1 Atlanta Reign 0 2 London Spitfire 1 2 London Spitfire 3
Bracket B
Upper round 1 Upper final Advance to Grand Finals Bracket September 28 1 Seoul Infernal 0 September 29 4 Dallas Fuel 3 4 Dallas Fuel 0 September 28 B1 Florida Mayhem 2 Florida Mayhem 3 2 Florida Mayhem 3 3 Houston Outlaws 1 Lower round 1 Lower final September 30 September 29 4 Dallas Fuel 0 B2 Houston Outlaws 1 Seoul Infernal 0 3 Houston Outlaws 3 3 Houston Outlaws 3
Grand Finals bracket
Semifinals Grand Final October 1 A1 Hangzhou Spark 0 October 1 B2 Houston Outlaws 3 B2 Houston Outlaws 0 October 1 B1 Florida Mayhem 4 B1 Florida Mayhem 3 A2 Boston Uprising 1 Third place October 1 A1 Hangzhou Spark 3 A2 Boston Uprising 0
Upper round 1A
September 28
Hangzhou Spark
3
–
2
Atlanta Reign
Toronto, CA
1:00 pm EDT
Details
Mattamy Athletic Centre
1
Ilios
2
1
Midtown
2
3
Suravasa
2
1
Esperança
0
3
Route 66
2
Upper round 1B
September 28
Dallas Fuel
3
–
0
Seoul Infernal
Toronto, CA
3:30 pm EDT
Details
Mattamy Athletic Centre
2
Busan
0
3
Blizzard World
2
3
New Junk City
0
Upper round 1A
September 28
Boston Uprising
3
–
1
London Spitfire
Toronto, CA
4:45 pm EDT
Details
Mattamy Athletic Centre
1
Lijiang Tower
2
2
King's Row
1
3
New Junk City
2
1
New Queen Street
0
Upper round 1B
September 28
Houston Outlaws
1
–
3
Florida Mayhem
Toronto, CA
6:30 pm EDT
Details
Mattamy Athletic Centre
2
Lijiang Tower
0
1
Midtown
2
2
New Junk City
3
0
New Queen Street
1
Lower round 1A
September 29
London Spitfire
3
–
0
Atlanta Reign
Toronto, CA
1:00 pm EDT
Details
Mattamy Athletic Centre
2
Ilios
1
3
Blizzard World
2
3
Suravasa
0
Lower round 1B
September 29
Houston Outlaws
3
–
0
Seoul Infernal
Toronto, CA
2:30 pm EDT
Details
Mattamy Athletic Centre
2
Ilios
1
2
Blizzard World
1
3
Suravasa
2
Semifinals
October 1
Houston Outlaws
3
–
0
Hangzhou Spark
Toronto, CA
1:00 pm EDT
Details
Mattamy Athletic Centre
2
Busan
1
6
King's Row
5
3
Suravasa
0
Semifinals
October 1
Boston Uprising
1
–
3
Florida Mayhem
Toronto, CA
2:30 pm EDT
Details
Mattamy Athletic Centre
0
Busan
2
2
Midtown
1
2
New Junk City
3
0
Colosseo
1
Third place match
October 1
Hangzhou Spark
3
–
0
Boston Uprising
Toronto, CA
5:00 pm EDT
Details
Mattamy Athletic Centre
2
Ilios
0
1
Midtown
0
3
New Junk City
1
Grand Final
October 1
Houston Outlaws
0
–
4
Florida Mayhem
Toronto, CA
6:30 pm EDT
Details
Mattamy Athletic Centre
1
Antarctic Peninsula
2
2
Blizzard World
3
2
Suravasa
3
0
Esperança
1
Teams in the season playoffs will compete for a total prize pool of US$1,855,000 , with the payout division detailed below.[ 3]
Team
1
Florida Mayhem
$1,000,000
2
Houston Outlaws
$400,000
3
Hangzhou Spark
$225,000
4
Boston Uprising
$130,000
5–6
Dallas Fuel
$50,000
London Spitfire
7–8
Atlanta Reign
–
Seoul Infernal
^ Richardson, Liz (November 5, 2022). "Dallas Fuel wins 2022 Overwatch League Championship" . Dot Esports . Retrieved September 23, 2023 .
^ "2023 Playoffs" . The Overwatch League . Retrieved September 23, 2023 .
^ a b c Czar, Michael (September 22, 2023). "Overwatch League 2023 Playoffs: Scores, schedules and standings" . Dot Esports . Retrieved September 23, 2023 .
^ Lyons, Ben (September 18, 2023). "The Overwatch League Postseason bracket is locked in" . Gamereactor UK . Retrieved September 23, 2023 .
^ Heinisch, Sascha (September 25, 2023). "OWL Playoff seeding issues once again raise concerns among teams" . GGRecon . Retrieved September 26, 2023 .
^ Czar, Michael (July 15, 2023). "Canada to host 2023 Overwatch League grand finals in first championship LAN outside US" . Dot Esports . Retrieved September 23, 2023 .
^ Walker, Patrick (July 17, 2023). "Overwatch League 2023 Grand Finals to take place in Toronto" . Esports Insider . Retrieved September 23, 2023 .