On August 2, 2018, Atlanta Esports Ventures, a collaboration between Cox Enterprises and Province, Inc, acquired one of the expansion slots in the Overwatch League from Activision Blizzard.
Additionally, the team signed Dusttin "Dogman" Bowerman as a free agent to bolster their support lineup.
[7][8] The Atlanta Reign's first regular season match in the Overwatch League resulted in a decisive 4–0 victory over the Florida Mayhem on February 15, 2019.
[12] In response, the Reign made roster adjustments, including the acquisition of Andrej "Babybay" Francisty from the San Francisco Shock.
[19] However, in the North America play-in tournament, they defeated the Boston Uprising, 3–1, to secure a spot in the season playoffs.
[27] However, they found success in the June Joust, reaching the interregional tournament but ultimately losing in the lower bracket finals to the Shanghai Dragons.
[28] In the Summer Showdown, the Reign once again made it to the interregional tournament but were eliminated in the first round of the lower bracket by the Dallas Fuel.
[29] They also qualified for the Countdown Cup tournament but faced challenges with Pelican's health and were eventually eliminated by the Chengdu Hunters.
[33] In the playoffs, Atlanta fell to the Chengdu Hunters in the first round[34] but made a run in the lower bracket, defeating the Washington Justice,[35] Los Angeles Gladiators,[36] San Francisco Shock,[37] and Dallas Fuel.
[39] They retained Gator, Hawk, and Kai, and also added rookies Lee "Venom" Dong-keun, Christian "Ojee" Han, and Benjamin "UltraViolet" David to the team.
[40] The Atlanta Reign's 2022 season saw the team rely on rookie talent to strengthen their roster, resulting in a relatively successful campaign.
Notably, Overwatch Contenders standouts Ojee and UltraViolet provided the team with a stable and consistent backline throughout the year.
Additionally, Venom and Speedily, who had showcased strong performances in the Path to Pro scene, made significant contributions in the frontline.
While tank player Gator didn't receive extensive playtime during the season, the Reign predominantly entrusted his counterpart, Hawk, with leadership responsibilities.
[43] They decided to part ways with several players from the 2022 season, including Kai, Venom, Nero, Ojee, and Ultraviolet, and elected to retain Gator as their new head coach.
In the support role, Atlanta secured the services of Han "ChiYo" Hyeon-seok and Kwon "Fielder" Joon from the Dallas Fuel.
[45] Despite earning first seed, the Reign were the first team to exit the 2023 playoffs, suffering a 2–3 reverse sweep by the Hangzhou Spark, as well as a 0–3 loss to the London Spitfire.
[55] ATL Academy went on to sweep through the playoffs, dropping only one map, and emerged as the champions by defeating Gladiators Legion in the finals, securing their first Contenders regional title.