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Sources: Overwatch League Expands Into DC, Third Team In China

Activision Blizzard has "sold two expansion slots for the second season of the Overwatch League" in DC and Hangzhou, China, according to sources cited by Jacob Wolf of ESPN.com. The league will "expand to a total of 20 teams, instead of the previous goal of 18." The sales of DC and Hangzhou will "bring the total to 18, after the league sold slots in Atlanta, Toronto, Paris and Guangzhou, China." The league "anticipates selling two more slots before it closes its expansion process." Sources said that the DC slot will be "funded by a new group" led by Capitol Investment Corp. Chair & CEO Mark Ein and other affiliated venture capital groups and investors. Ein is World TeamTennis Washington Kastles Owner and is also a "minority owner of aXiomatic, the esports-focused parent company of Team Liquid." Sources said that Hangzhou will be "funded by Chinese video sharing website Bilibili." The Overwatch League's rapid expansion came after the league "originally sought six additional teams for the second season but received last-minute interest from a number of buyers" (ESPN.com, 9/4).

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