New York is everything you'd expect it to be. LaGuardia Airport was timely, technologically up to date and the bumper to bumper traffic reminded me of suburban Michigan. For me, the most jarring aspect was how alive it felt. With cars littering the street like ants swarming a soiled apple, pedestrians clambering around the crosswalks with either bike or canine companion in hand -- Brooklyn felt homely. And there was one group of people that matter the most to me on that sweltering July weekend; the New York locals. What about the cab drivers, the cafe owners, and the every-person? What are their thoughts on the Overwatch League grand finals and esports as a whole? Brooklyn, New York was energetic to say the least, but it was homely. It was this welcoming, conversational and community-driven atmosphere that the accented the inaugural Overwatch League grand finals. And with the Barclays Center sold out, this was not only a litmus test for the indoctrinated Overwatch fans - but it was a test for the how some of New York's locals and the general public on how far reaching this whole extravaganza was. We always hear about the massive fan engagement that gaming and esports has, but has that activation permeated outside of our small but colorful confines? “ … never got into [gaming]. Too worried about addiction and playing 10-13 hours a day.” A large, but cheery man—full of quick jokes and small talk—laughed from the driver’s seat of his Uber. He pondered a moment and continued, “[I’m] just not fast enough. [I’ve got] no time or the patience.” This matched some of the recent narratives that have kicked up as of late -- but, I had to admit, there was too much of a good thing. Whether or not we agreed on the direct cause or agreed on the parameters on diagnoses, it was clear: gaming—and by proxy, esports—was becoming more mainstream, one way or another. But, his outlook on gaming and esports were much more optimistic, more than what you’d hear out of a major traditional publication. “[It’s] all good. Something different, very interesting,” he seemed fairly open to the idea that people take games as a form of competition. If kids could go to their local basketball court and compete for prizes of all kinds - what was stopping the current generation, and the next, from doing the same at an arcade or a PC cafe? During our brief chat, he mentioned that he had children and one of the large narrative shifts we’ve seen in the last five to six years has been the entrance and acceptance of parents in esports. When posed the hypothetical if one of his children were interested in pursuing esports, he approached with caution. After we discussed the minimum salary for an Overwatch League professional player and the benefits that came with it, he reluctantly came around. He hoped they seriously had a backup plan and saved a slight nest egg for the future. “Otherwise I'm all for it,” he smiled as he put the car in park and I exited the vehicle. “This is was it. This is the ‘big apple,’” I thought to myself as I sat and waited for my hotel to allow me to check in. Cliches and pleasantries aside, coming from someone who has only known the suburbs of Detroit for 25 years, Brooklyn felt like a compact metropolis where the locals' fashion was held in juxtaposition to their backdrop. Tailored suits and designer shoes briskly walked past beautiful graffiti sprawled out on to a green and rusted piece of sheet metal. Not an hour into my waiting session an opportunity presented itself. A bus pulled off onto one of the side streets and the driver exited to take a break. “Naa, I’m a Knicks fan!” He chuckled as he took a hit off of his cigarette. The driver had no interest in hearing about what was going on in the Barclays Arena, no matter if all the tickets were sold or if none of them were. In that instant, I wondered if this was what Blizzard envisioned? This city by city rivalry that created friendly divisions amongst some and lifelong bonds with others. Geolocation was a gamble, but the potential was there --  that much was certain. He kept his answers short and I couldn’t blame him. It’s not every day someone approaches you on the streets of Brooklyn to talk about gaming in a basketball arena. “Gaming?” He quickly questioned, exhaling smoke out of the side of his mouth. “Never a fan, not a gamer.” He tossed the butt of his cigarette off onto the street and I thanked him for his time. Back to waiting and taking in all that New York had to offer. The facade of each building that stood proudly along each street was a different patchwork of satellite dishes and shoddily painted, mismatched trimming married with your stereotypical tar black fire escapes. If you’ve seen a TV sitcom or a series set in New York, you’ve seen downtown Brooklyn. Pesky vines creep up the side of nearly every building and red brick, four-story apartment complex. There is such an atmosphere of “haste” to the small block of Brooklyn where I called home for the next few days. Tires to be delivered. People hurrying past one another on their way to their destination, be it work or a subway station. Dogs, so many dogs to be walked and cleaned up after, which was surprising due to how close in proximity the sidewalks and walkways were to the street. You hear the United States is a mixing pot of culture all the time, but you would be hard-pressed to find such a diverse city compared to Brooklyn. While I sat and waited for my hotel’s check-in time, I spoke with two men who exited the quaint Holiday Inn. They shared a pack of cigarettes and had a brief chat with me. One man only lets on that he was a traveler through a thick accent and the other was a short-statured Frenchman who continuously tried to tell me where he was staying. We both laughed at the friendly misunderstanding as I proceeded to ask them a few questions about Overwatch and esports. Needless to say, between staccato puffs on their tobacco, they had no idea what I was referring to. Small talk it was then! “It is so big and …” the Frenchman explained how he was enjoying Brooklyn as he raised his hands in reference to New York's larger than life skyscrapers. “ … I love it.” I figured esports would be a hard ask for people, but it did surprise me a little that so many people were not interested in gaming. Brooklyn was nice, but there was more of New York to see. I scurried into my hotel, checked in, and set a course for Manhattan. If Brooklyn was your typical New York style sitcom setting, Manhattan was your scenic cityscape. On my travels there, I spoke with my Uber driver, who happened to be a young man from Staten Island. “I don’t have much time, but I like FIFA and …” His timid voice trailed behind the many car horns and sirens and made up the ambiance of New York. “Ahhhh,” excitement washed over me, it felt like meeting a kindred spirit. I began to explain very early concepts of esports to him as we moseyed our way through the gridlocked afternoon traffic. “Really? No …” He laughed in disbelief and continued along the thoroughfare, but shot me a glance in the backseat at the next red light to see if I was serious. I continued to explain what the Overwatch League offered and mentioned that Fnatic, a prominent endemic esports organization, had a team dedicated to playing Fifa for a living. “Are you serious?” He laughed, his face read as a mix between amazement and actually shocked that people made a living through playing video games. We shared a few laughs and thoughts on our way to our destination. He told me tales from Staten Island and I continued to sell him on the idea of competitive gaming. Not too long after we arrived, I tipped him generously for listening to me ramble about gaming and we were on our separate ways. There I ventured into the bar of a golden, and what looked to be high class, downtown Manhattan hotel to meet friends of mine. From there we explored all of what New York had to offer. The food, the people, the sights—it was a three-course meal of sensory overload. As dusk settled in on the small but bustling borough, it was time for me to return back to Brooklyn to catch some much-needed rest and relaxation. Blizzard had been successful in approaching esports in a new light. With geolocation planting its seeds and constant outreach towards anything and everything traditional, the league was set on a slow, but steady growth. Whether its traditional media, traditional sports or securing a media deal to place Overwatch on television, it was about “outreach” not “inreach.” They had already indoctrinated a massive cult-like following, it was just about activating the rest of the general public and gaining their interest. From my short time in New York, a few things became a bit more clear. Gaming was not entirely accepted into the mainstream just yet and as a result, esports—no matter how many tickets were sold or what arena a game was being held in—was taking a backseat. What was promising was how many different second-hand anecdotes of new fans of not only Overwatch but gaming and esports I heard. Multiple people whom I know personally have shared their story of how Overwatch was the first competitive title that they followed or even played at a high level. There have been stories detailing how Overwatch has been some people’s first big multiplayer game. I’ve heard a handful of stories, from the live grand finals in the sold-out Barclays Arena, about how people were amazed that they had met someone from Europe and didn’t realize Overwatch was this big. That disparity of “outreach” versus “inreach” again has to be stated. Overwatch is a game changer. Taking New York City as a small case study has revealed an interesting side that many people shy away from. Overwatch is bringing people into the esports ecosystem, that wouldn’t normally be involved. Color that however you want, but from my experience it’s true. And if Blizzard and the Overwatch League continue to leverage “tradition” and “outreach”, then we are possibly in for a whole new generation of esports fans ready, willing and able to support their favorite team into their golden years. _____ Joseph “Volamel” Franco has followed esports since the MLGs of 2006. He started out primarily following Starcraft 2, Halo 3, and Super Smash Bros. Melee. He has transitioned from viewer to journalist and writes freelance primarily about Overwatch and League of Legends. If you would like to know more or follow his thoughts on esports you can follow him at @Volamel. Images courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.