Live competitions, a central element of the Overwatch League plan, were shut down before they really got underway due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while the expense of operating teams and workplace misconduct scandal at Activision Blizzard—which drove away major advertisers—took a further toll. Activision first acknowledged in May 2023 that the Overwatch League was in trouble, and finally ended it in November 2023, although it promised information on «a revitalized esports program… in the near future,» which apparently is now.