The Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) has released two themed tracks ahead of its inaugural season finals later this month.
The two instrumental songs, titled Anthem and Overtime, are available on YouTube and were created by Dutch composer Justin Welgraven. The songs will be used at different points during the OWCS Finals broadcast.
The Overwatch Champions Series 2024 Finals is set to commence on November 22nd during DreamHack Stockholm, a notable gaming and esports festival owned by ESL FACEIT Group. The Overwatch Champions Series is operated by ESL FACEIT Group and is the successor to the Overwatch League following its closure in 2023.
Interestingly this is not the first time that ESL FACEIT Group has utilised music to bolster the identity of a tournament. In 2022, when the company was ESL Gaming, it launched a ‘sonic identity’ and an official anthem that is used throughout its events and content. Similarly, the Overwatch theme songs were created to be used in competitive Overwatch and become recognisable to fans and viewers.
The first track, called Anthem, is the hero track for the tournament series and will be played after a team wins the round, as well as during other important events in the league. It is a more majestic song, with lots of strings and orchestral segments that are similar to Overwatch’s existing in-game music.
The second track, called Overtime, is a more modern take on the main theme, with more electronic elements that, according to an interview in Rolling Stone, works well when commentary is laid out on top of it. As such, it is expected that the Overtime song will likely be played during post-match segments, for example.