East vs. West battle for 'Overwatch' supremacy under way in China

LOS ANGELES -- Though the Overwatch phenomenon is still in its infancy, we're already in the middle of an epic East vs. West showdown.

The APAC Overwatch Premier tournament kicked off Wednesday night in China, where six Chinese teams and six international squads -- including one from the U.S. -- are going after the $200,000 prize pool.

There's much more at stake than just money, though: This is our first look into how western and Asian teams will stack up in the fastest-rising esports game, now in only its third tournament (and its first international contest). Reputations are on the line.

The main event started Wednesday night and lasts until the Oct. 16 finale. Unlike the Overwatch Open, this tournament will feature matches between international teams right from the start.

While most of North America was sound asleep, American team NRG overtook both Snake and Vici Gaming, ensuring their place in the next round.

Group B's first match will be between team iG.Fire vs Skadi's Gift -- then shortly after, Overwatch front-runners team Rogue will battle it out against South Korea's Lunatic-Hai.

Overwatch fanatics should watch intently since Rogue and NRG are respectively ranked 2nd and 9th globally. If we're lucky enough to see a match between the two, it'll be a heated one.

The tournament's prize pool will be split as follows:

• 1st: $75,000

• 2nd: $30,000

• 3rd-4th: $23,000

• 5th-8th: $8,000

• 9th-12th: $3,000

You can watch Group B and follow the rest of the tournament this week at Playoverwatch.com.