The Overwatch League has planted its flag atop the esports mountain. But just like its twitchy-thumbed superstars Authentic Brent Burns Jersey , the premier circuit can’t afford to sit still.

Not as long as Fortnite commands the rest of the gaming universe.

The Fortnite phenomenon has put Overwatch in a strange position. The Overwatch League’s inaugural season has been a barrier-breaking achievement, but Blizzard Entertainment’s 6-on-6 first-person shooter isn’t nearly the world’s most popular video game. That would be Fortnite, a battle royale that has transcended gaming and smashed into the mainstream unlike any title in years. Overwatch executives say they aren’t nearly panicked because of one grand gamble: their deep pockets and impressive infrastructure can keep Fortnite from making a successful charge for the crown.

THE LEAGUE

A top-selling game doesn’t necessarily make an elite esport – the latter requires a professional circuit, loyal fans and a product that’s just as enjoyable to watch as to play.

The Overwatch League has set the standard for esports in its first season. Ten million fans watched its opening weekend, and 100-150 thousand tuned in for every second of the regular season. The league’s two-night championship sold out Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, and the opening night aired live on ESPN, the network’s first live broadcast of esports in prime time. The league has a fierce and sizable stable of fans, big-name investors like New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the momentum of a monumental first season.

FORMIDABLE FORTNITE

Yet video gamers are clearly more ravenous for Fortnite. The breakout title from Epic Games has 125 million global players, compared to 40 million for Overwatch. Perhaps more jarring, Google searches for ”Fortnite” outpaced ”Overwatch” 14-to-1 in the week leading up to the Overwatch League Grand Finals.

Fortnite’s crossover appeal is unrivaled, a fact most recently on display when France’s Antoine Griezmann celebrated a goal in the World Cup Final with a dance move popularized by the game .

How could Overwatch not be terrified of a competitor with that kind of organic reach?

Simple: it doesn’t see Fortnite as competition – yet.

”Fortnite right now is 99 percent a game and not an esport,” said Ari Segal, president of Immortals Gaming, which runs Overwatch’s Los Angeles Valiant. ”But I think obviously there’s a path for it to become an esport.”

The distinction is key. Structured, competitive Fortnite events are still in their infancy, and Epic has a ways to go to match the professional experience provided to Overwatch League fans. Epic began that effort by promising in May to offer $100 million in Fortnite esports prize pools – an enormous sum for the industry.

Yet early returns have been shaky Raiders Game Jerseys , like when the Fortnite Summer Skirmish Series was cancelled mid-play due to technical issues. The tournament has also been hindered by conservative game play, with players waiting until the last possible moment to engage. In a statement, Epic said that it ”under delivered” in what was supposed to be its first marquee esports event while laying out plans to improve the viewing experience.

Epic did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

”It takes a lot more than a press release to build an esport,” Overwatch League Commissioner Nate Nanzer said. ”I think I can speak as well as most that there’s a ton of investment and planning and infrastructure that you need to build in order to do professional esports at a high quality bar.”

THE GRAND FINALS

Overwatch’s Grand Finals have been a showcase for that. All it takes is one look at the 165-foot-wide, 36-foot-tall LED screen behind the Barclays Center stage – players and fans alike have been in awe of the massive display this weekend.

But it runs deeper than flashy tech. The league’s broadcasts on Twitch have been nearly flawless technologically all season. Its teams have impressive support staffs including chefs, physical trainers and PR managers. Even the in-event entertainment is first-rate: DJ Khaled will perform at Saturday’s championship finale.

Which isn’t to say Overnight is a finished product. There’s work to be done packaging its events, especially for casual fans. Blizzard plans to experiment with its broadcast structure to better serve diehards and newbies alike. Those adjustments began with more explanatory segments on the ESPN show for uninitiated viewers, and the league will use feedback from that to shape coverage for next season.

”What I saw on Twitter was fun,” said Pete Vlastelica, President and CEO of Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues. ”I liked seeing the healthy debate between the old-school, old-guard sports audience who wondered what they were watching and then a lot of young sports fans who were very excited by what they were seeing.”

Even as it experiments, everything about the league has the look and feel of a top-notch pro sports organization, and that’s been a matter of investment and expertise for Blizzard and its team owners – a group that includes Kraft, New York Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

Esports organizations, like Segal’s Immortals, are keeping a close eye on Fortnite.

”Do you have the access to capital and the human resource capacity and the organizational bandwidth to be nimble and flexible to evaluate whatever that next thing is?” Segal asked. ”With respect to Fortnite Jeremy Kerley Jersey Elite , it’s an ongoing evaluation.”

Quincy Enunwa was coming off a breakout season and looking to establish himself last summer as a big-time playmaker for the New York Jets.

In one scary moment, that came to an abrupt halt.

The wide receiver was running a route when he dropped a pass during 7-on-7 drills. He took a step and fell to the turf face-first despite not having been touched.

He didn't move for a few moments. His neck wouldn't let him.

Fear set in, if only briefly, that Enunwa's football career could be in jeopardy.

"At the beginning," he recalled after a recent training camp practice, "definitely."

Enunwa had a bulging disk in his neck, the culmination of problems he had been dealing with for most of the last several months. He had surgery a few weeks later and was reassured he would be able to play again. But first there would be several months of grueling rehab.

"I knew physically, there was no way that I would not be back on the field," Enunwa said. "I knew I would hit every timetable and do everything I needed to do. I have confidence in myself as a physical guy, so I knew I was going to do the work and get back as soon as possible."

Enunwa's comeback appears nearly complete.

After sitting out offseason workouts and participating on a limited basis in minicamp, the former Nebraska star has been practicing every day during training camp.

"It feels really good, yeah," he said. "I mean, there are really no issues. I'm having fun, flying around. I can't complain."

Wide receiver @QuincyEnunwa is looking good so far on the comeback trail from a neck injury for the @nyjets. More from @dwaz73: s://t.co/XMC39VSN9X pic.gtGYR5HXwG

鈥?AP NFL (@AP_NFL) July 31, 2018

Enunwa is still wearing a red Authentic Duncan Keith Jersey , no-contact pinnie during padded practices, but hopes to shed that soon.

"I'd say it's protocol," he said. "I'm just going on their kind of timeline, doing what I need to do, but I'm having fun, though."

Coach Todd Bowles wouldn't declare Enunwa as being at "full speed" just yet.

"He's doing everything, but it's just precautionary," Bowles said. "We'll find a time and place and see if we get it right."

Enunwa was a sixth-round draft pick of the Jets in 2014 and saw limited action in his first two seasons. In 2016, he emerged as a vital part of the offense by working in a hybrid wide receiver/tight end/H-back role and setting career highs with 58 catches for 857 yards and four touchdowns.

Even more was expected going into last season 鈥?until the injury short-circuited those plans.

The doctors took a cautious approach with Enunwa's rehab, not wanting to rush him back. But as the Jets trudged through a 5-11 season, Enunwa wished he could help.

"Physically, I was able to, but they told me not to," he said. "So, it was kind of just sitting around and doing bike stuff, so those were the times when I was really anxious to get back out there to run and catch passes."

He has been doing exactly that during the first four practices of camp Adidas Henrik Sedin Jersey , including catching a touchdown toss from rookie Sam Darnold in team drills Monday.

Enunwa says his days of being an H-back are over 鈥?"I was drafted as a receiver and I want to play receiver 鈥?and he helps give the Jets an intriguing group that also includes Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse and Terrelle Pryor.

"It's great to have Q back out there," quarterback Josh McCown said. "Just his energy and his work ethic is great to have on the field."

At 6-foot-2 and a well-chiseled 225 pounds, the 26-year-old Enunwa is a physical specimen. With his mix of size, strength and speed, he reminds McCown of a former star teammate.

"I had the opportunity to play with Anquan Boldin and Quincy kind of has that after-catch, that tough mentality," McCown said. "Every day he's on the field with us and is back I think is a good day for us."

This is a big year for Enunwa, and not just because of his comeback. He signed his second-round restricted free agent tender in April, and could potentially be an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

"That next contract is what everybody wants to get to," Enunwa said. "So I'm definitely looking forward to just playing my best right now. I'm not thinking too much about the contract because I have my own personal goals, and I know that those personal goals will help the team's goals and will eventually help my contract goals.

"So, for me, it's just going out there and performing and showing what I can do."

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