The commissioner of the Overwatch League, Nate Nanzer, is leaving Blizzard to work on competitive Fortnite at Epic Games.
Nanzer, who joined Blizzard in 2014, said leaving had been the "toughest decision of my life", but that he was leaving the league in "great hands".
I can’t emphasize enough how proud I am of what we’ve all accomplished together. It has been the honor of my life to have been part of the team that helped build the league of #breakthrough, #BurnBlue, #pdomjnate, #CaptureHistory, #OWL2019, and many more. 2/4May 25, 2019
Nanzer didn't say that he was headed to Epic Games in his farewell tweets but the studio confirmed to ESPN, which first broke the story, that he would was joining to work on competitive Fortnite. It's already one of the biggest esports around: the Fortnite World Cup, currently in its seventh week, has a $100 million prize pool.
Nanzer will no doubt try to ensure that the studio better handles changes to the competitive side of the game, which continue to piss off pro players.
Blizzard announced the Overwatch League in 2016 and its inaugural season was held last year. London Spitfire won the tournament in dominant style. This year's season began in February and will end in August, with the grand finals held in Philadelphia.
In his parting remarks, Nanzer said he had received "way too much credit" for the league's success.
That’s why I’m confident the league is in great hands. I can’t wait to see where the team takes the Overwatch League in 2020 - and beyond. And I’ll be cheering right there alongside you, every step of the way. 4/4May 25, 2019
