Chengdu Hunters, a Chinese Overwatch League franchise, has withdrawn from the league after missing half of the 2023 season. The team disbanded on May 9th and has been on a competitive hiatus since April.
Goodbye and see you again. pic.twitter.com/rNzukKbYBU
— Chengdu Hunters (@ChengduHunters) January 23, 2023
The reason for their absence is due to Overwatch's shutdown in mainland China, as NetEase, Activision Blizzard's distributor in China, declined to renew its contract with the publisher. Other Chinese OWL teams have found ways to continue practicing the game and competing in the league, but Chengdu was not as fortunate. The franchise never won anything in the league but placed second in multiple events.
OWL's Announcement
The team was owned by HUYA Inc., a live-streaming platform in China. The team skins will be removed from the in-game league shop on July 6th.
Source: Twitter