The Dallas Fuel have announced the first Western Overwatch League live event for the 2021 season. This event is set for July 9 against the Houston Outlaws, with safety restrictions in place due to the pandemic. This event is the first live Western event since the homestands were cancelled in early 2020. This game is another installment of the Battle of Texas, adding more stakes to the live game.
https://twitter.com/hastr0/status/1404471176752156675
New restrictions for new live event
Just like the Hangzhou live event earlier in the June Joust, there are safety restrictions in place for the Dallas live event. According to Envy founder and Chief Gaming Officer Mike “hastr0” Rufail, this event will be held in the Esports Stadium Arlington. At most half capacity, tickets are $15, and the event will be open earlier for fans to watch previous games in the day. Their opponents, the Houston Outlaws, will remain in Houston. This is not a full return to LAN games in the Western Division, but a first step.
EnvyUs fans who are silver or gold members within the organization have access to pre-sale tickets Tuesday at 12 p.m. EST. This is one day before the public has access, starting Wednesday, at the same hour.
The awaited return of live North American OWL events
With the success of the homestand in Hangzhou, fans wondered how long it would take until Western teams could have live events again. Dallas hinted at this earlier in the month, but the confirmation of a live event should help the league immensely. Since the league’s creation, live homestands always seemed to be the goal. With each team linked to a city, having that connection helps these events feel even more local and personal.
Even with the Houston players not coming to this event, Fuel fans seeing their players play live is a big step. At half full, the ESA can hold around 1250 fans.
