CAUTION: The following thread may contain traces/discussion of OWCS and its now-defunct predecessor, OWL. It is therefore advised that those sensitive to such topics, or to constructive discussion about Overwatch as a whole, close this window and go try French opera instead.
Hello, forumgoers, I’m Arena25, resident OWCS fan and humble servant of these forums. With Stage 2 now in the books (congrats to Team Falcons on their Midseason Championship win) , attention now turns to the final stage of action before the World Finals. Allow this primer to serve as your guide. In the interest of keeping talk about Wuyang and Season 18 front and center, I will be brief.
When does Stage 3 start?
For NA and EMEA, that starts on September 6. For APAC, they are already live, with matches starting earlier this week in all 3 subregions.
Will Wuyang be available?
You bet! Wuyang is available for selection in all 3 OWCS Asia regions, and he should be available for selection when NA and EMEA start their matches on the 6th.
Who’s in, who’s out?
On the NA side, not much changed - Dhillducks and Supernova prevailed in the Stage 2 promotion/relegation tournament. On the EMEA side, Anomaly Goud Guys ANM and Team Vision advanced out of the EMEA promotion/relegation tournament. HOWEVER, in a twist of fate, EMEA’s 4th seed, The Ultimates, were unable to field an eligible roster and were thus removed from the competition. Taking their place is the 3rd place finisher in the promotion/relegation tournament, 1Dipvs100Gorillas Quick Esports.
How will the slots for the OWCS 2025 World Finals be decided?
There will be 12 spots at the World Finals, which will be divided up as follows:
NA: 3 spots. 2 spots, plus 1 for their performance at the Midseason Championship.
EMEA: 3 spots. 2 spots, plus 1 for their performance at the Midseason Championship.
China: 2 spots.
Asia: 4 spots. 2 for Korea, plus 1 more for Korea for their performance at the Midseason Championship, plus 1 spot which Japan/Pacific will fight over.
The OWCS 2025 World Finals takes place live at DreamHack Stockholm, with 5 days of action planned. More details on the format and seeding will be coming at a later date.
And what about drops?
Glad you asked. Here’s all the goodies you can earn:
Stage 3 Drops Campaign 1 (NOW LIVE THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14):
2 hours watched - At The Top Spray
4 hours watched - OWCS Cozy Cat Icon
6 hours watched - Time to Shine Namecard
8 hours watched - OWCS Cozy Cat Nights Namecard
Stage 3 Drops Campaign 2 (September 15-October 5)
2 hours watched - Champions Energy Drink Spray
4 hours watched - Champions Energy Drink Icon
6 hours watched - Slice of Victory Spray
8 hours watched - Late-Night Champion Namecard
Been awhile, Arena - what’s the delay on those banrate threads?
You have my sincere apologies on that front - the past couple months have been…a whirlwind, to put it mildly. Starting with accepting a new job that is very demanding physically (out of doors M-F from sunrise to sundown in all weather conditions while pushing a “portable” cart that will show how out-of-shape you actually are) and also requiring me to live a semi-nomadic lifestyle. But hey, any job is better than none - especially since the amount of braincell-killing drivel seems to have only increased in my absence. But have no fear - I have not forgotten about the banrate data, and while I can’t promise a firm ETA, I do want to get those out sooner rather than later.
Anything else I should know?
I’m sure there’s plenty, but I did promise to be brief so Wuyang and Season 18 can stay front and center, so I’ll yield the spotlight to Sunday’s finest (they better bring their A-game this weekend, they have no shortage of material to work with) and shall circle back closer to the Stage 3 playoffs/OWCS2025 World Finals. Welcome to Stage 3 - we’re in the home stretch!
And that’s it. We hope y’all enjoy Season 18 and remind you to take advantage of the Hero Mastery courses while you still can. OWCS Stage 3 returns for NA and EMEA after we all enjoy a nice long weekend, so for now, 
Slow down, you’re gonna crash, baby, you were screaming it’s a blast, blast, blast - look out, babe, you got your blinders on, everybody’s looking for a way to get real gone. 