The Overwatch League saw a surprising shakeup on Thursday when it was reported that the commissioner of the Overwatch League, Pete Vlastelica, would be stepping down from his role as commissioner of the Overwatch League. This news came as a huge surprise for eSports because the Overwatch League Grand Finals are occurring from October 8 through October 10. Just seven days out from the finals is not exactly an ideal time for the commissioner of the sport to be stepping down, and as such this move raised some eyebrows.
Reports about whether Vlastelica is stepping down by his own choice or not have so far been mixed, but a spokesperson from Activsion Blizzard released this statement to UPROXX about the change.
“Pete Vlastelica, CEO of Activision Blizzard Esports and Commissioner of the Overwatch League, will transition from his role in (Activision Blizzard Entertainment) to focus on new entrepreneurial ventures on behalf of Activision Blizzard, following the Overwatch League Grand Finals. He was instrumental in building the company’s esports business and driving the industry forward, and we thank Pete for his contributions and impact on our business over the last four years”
Vlastelica has been with the company since 2016, but didn’t spend a long time as commissioner of the Overwatch League, taking over for Nate Nanzer when Nanzer stepped down in May 2019.
The news was originally reported by multiple outlets, including Eben Novy-Williams.