The Overwatch League will return to live events in September to conclude the 2021 season. The postseason begins with an online regional play-in match on September 4, followed by a double-elimination playoff bracket on September 16 and the grand finals on September 25.

The top three teams in the West (Atlanta Rain, Boston Uprising, Dallas Fuel, Florida Mayhem, Houston Outlaws, London Spitfire, Los Angeles Gladiators, Paris Eternal, San Francisco Shock, Toronto Defiant, Vancouver Titans, Chengdu Hunters, Guangzhou Charge, Hangzhou Spark, Los Angeles Valiant, New York Excelsior, Philadelphia Fusions, Shanghai Dragons and Seoul Dynasty will qualify for the playoffs. The remaining three slots will be filled by the play-in bracket, two from the West and one from the East.

The Shanghai Dragons are currently the dominant force in the East, with only the Soul Dynasty coming close: the Dallas Fuel lead, but the San Francisco Shock, Houston Outlaws, and Los Angeles Gladiators, Washington Justice are also in range.

Even more interesting than the race for the top spot, however, is the resurgence of live audiences: it has been more than a year since Blizzard began canceling in-person league matches due to a new virus, still a mystery at the time, that killed an estimated 170 people. More cancellations soon followed, and in March 2020, Blizzard canceled all in-person events until at least May of that year.

The loss of live events eventually led Blizzard to shift its focus to online action: Tony Petitti, president of Activision Blizzard Sports and Entertainment, said in March 2021 that versus was not completely discontinued, but Blizzard "learned a lot last year in terms of how leagues can be structured for online play. The Chinese Overwatch team returned to in-person competition earlier this year, albeit in a very limited format.

Barring a surge in new Covid-19 cases and new public health measures, the 2021 Overwatch League playoffs will be held September 16-19 at the Esports Stadium Arlington in Texas, with the grand finals on September 25 at the at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. Tickets for both tournaments will go on sale in August.