NOTE: This thread may contain discussion of OWCS and it’s now-defunct predecessor OWL. It is therefore advised that those who may be sensitive to such content, or to constructive discussion about Overwatch as a whole, go try French opera instead.
Hello, forumgoers, I’m Arena25, resident OWCS fan and humble servant of these forums. With Stage 3 of OWCS in the books - and the Overwatch League Team Inventory Sale in full swing - the time has come to set the scene for Stage 4. For OWCS teams, this is their last chance to accrue circuit points and earn their place into the OWCS Finals. For viewers, this is their chance to see what the pros make of everyone’s favorite Martian, Juno. So, let’s do this. All answers and info below are sourced from the official Overwatch Esports website unless otherwise noted. If you’re just here to know what drops are coming out, I got good news and bad news. Bad news is that as of the time of this thread, specific rewards and associated drops campaigns have not been announced yet. Good news is that the OWCS has confirmed a trio of drops campaigns will be available for Stage 4. I will be sure to update this thread once specifics are known - they’ll be at the bottom of the thread once that information is released - but for now, settle in.
What’s the standings update heading into Stage 4?
Ask and you shall receive. Standings and a small bit of analysis, coming right up. Let’s begin with NA’s Top 8:
NA Standings (updated as of September 10)
Toronto Defiant - 1,250
NRG Shock - 670
Nightmare (NTMR) - 490
–DreamHack Stockholm Qualification Cutoff–
Citrus NTMR - 475
TSM - 425
Timeless - 420
FluffyDreamland - 305
Shikigami - 255
For the Toronto Defiant, barring their roster being struck by lightning and forced to disband, the Toronto Defiant is all but guaranteed to head to DreamHack Stockholm. With the unfortunate disbanding of M80 following a disappointing outing at both the OWCS Major and the Esports World Cup, NRG Shock (formerly Students of the Game) and Nightmare round out the top 3. Citrus Nightmare, TSM, and Timeless are all very much still in striking distance, however, so Stage 4 is still anyone’s game and is likely to come down to the final day.
EMEA Standings (updated as of September 10)
Ence - 950
Spacestation - 925
Virtus.pro - 520
–DreamHack Stockholm Qualification Cutoff–
Gaimin Gladiators - 480
Twisted Minds - 465
Supershy - 320
Aww Yeah - 270
Hypnos - 265
While it’s not 100% official yet, Ence and Spacestation look to be locks for Stockholm. That means 3 teams - Virtus.pro, Gaimin Gladiators, and Twisted Minds - will be fighting for the last EMEA spot in Stockholm, and like NA, the last spot is almost certain to come down to the final day of the Main Stage.
What’s the format for Stage 4?
Similar to Stage 3, the Top 4 teams in each region from the previous stage will qualify straight to Groups, with the remaining 12 Group Stage teams in each region being decided in Swiss bracket. Those 4 teams are:
NA: Toronto Defiant, NRG Shock, Nightmare, and Timeless
EMEA: Ence, Virtus.pro, Spacestation, and Twisted Minds
What’s the prize pool for Stage 4?
The money prize is similar to Stage 3’s, but the circuit points have each received an upgrade. See below for the prize pool for each region (all monetary values are awarded to the team and are in USD, circuit points are per player):
1st place: $30,000, 150 circuit points, automatic qualification to DreamHack Stockholm
2nd place: $15,000, 120 circuit points
3rd place: $10,000, 90 circuit points
4th place: $7,000, 75 circuit points
5th/6th place: $4,000, 60 circuit points
7th/8th place: $2,500, 45 circuit points
9th-12th place: $0, 30 circuit points
13th-16th place: $0, 15 circuit points
When does Stage 4 kick off?
Officially, Stage 4 kicks off on Friday, September 20 (i.e. TOMORROW) with Swiss, with Group Stage kicking off on Friday, September 27. HOWEVER, official broadcasts won’t start until Saturday, September 28 (i.e. Week 1, Day 2 of Group Stage).
Will Juno and Clash be available? What patch will Stage 4 be played on?
Juno is expected to be available for selection with the start of Stage 4. Clash will be available and will share a “mode” with Flashpoint when selecting maps for the draft (seeing as both modes have 2 maps available each at the present moment). That means if a team picks a Flashpoint map, then the other team cannot select a Clash map unless and until all other modes (Push, Escort, Control, Hybrid) have been selected.
Based on posts from OWEsports social media pages, we expect players to be playing on the S12 midseason patch at the start of Stage 4. This section may be updated.
Any updates on the OWCS World Finals format?
Yes. While the number of qualified teams per region and the method of qualification will be the same as the OWCS Major (angry APAC fans have entered the chat), there has been an update to the Upper Quarterfinals (the first 4 matches) and the tournament format.
First, the Upper Quarterfinals will be First-to-2. That means a team needs 2 map wins to win their Upper Quarterfinal match. All other matches are still First-to-3 (First-to-4 in the case of Grand Finals). This will solve 2 problems - first, it allows everyone a chance to see every team show off their skills on the main stage, but second, it eliminates the need for a separate, secondary stream - which will make it easier for viewers to follow matches and earn drops (or spot issues with drops). With this change, there is also a change to the map draft. The map draft now goes as follows:
First-to-2: Control > Hybrid > Flashpoint/Clash (TB if needed: Escort)
First-to-3 and First-to-4: Control > Loser’s Pick (available modes are Control, Hybrid, Flashpoint/Clash, Push, Escort)
Also, OWCS World Finals will officially be a seeded tournament, with participants/regions seeded based on previous performances during international Overwatch events in 2024.
1 seed: Asia Stage 2 Champions
2 seed: Asia Stage 2 Runner-ups
3 seed: NA Stage 4 Champions
4 seed: EMEA Stage 4 Champions
5 seed: NA Circuit Points Leader
6 seed: EMEA Circuit Points Leader
7 seed: NA Circuit Points Runner-Up
8 seed: EMEA Circuit Points Runner-Up
UB Quarter Matchups (Upper Semis will be M1 Winner vs. M2 Winner, M3 Winner vs. M4 Winner)
M1: 1 seed vs. 8 seed
M2: 4 seed vs. 5 seed
M3: 2 seed vs. 7 seed
M4: 3 seed vs. 6 seed
What viewership incentives are there for Stage 4?
As mentioned at the top, we do know that there is a trio of drops campaigns supporting Stage 4. We also know the specific drops for Stage 4: Week 1 Groups (which is THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY). What we don’t know is, well, everything else - including the drops for the other 2 campaigns or the time watched requirements for this weekend. This section will be updated.
September 27-29: “Journey Begins” Icon and “Journey Begins” Spray.
Anything else?
I’m sure there’s more, but aside from info on specific drops - which I am awaiting word on - and the obligatory reminder to watch from Twitch rather than YouTube if you take your drops seriously, the rest is best found out through experience. Welcome to Stage 4!
That’s all for now. Wishing y’all a wonderful rest of your September and we hope you’re looking forward to a great start to spooky season. OWCS Stage 4 kicks off tomorrow, with broadcasts to start on September 28th, but for now, 
I have better things to do, OKTOBERFEST! 