Before this weekend, everyone assumed that Blizzard’s Overwatch would be available exclusively for the PC sometime this year as a free-to-play game. But all of that changed during the developer’s annual BlizzCon convention. As part of the weekend’s festivities, Blizzard announced that Overwatch will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in Spring 2016 in a full-priced “Origins Edition.” A 6v6 “hero shooter,” Overwatch will come packed with 21 heroes, including three that were announced at BlizzCon:
- Genji, a cybernetic ninja, is an expert assassin capable of extraordinary feats of agility, including reflecting enemy attacks with his blade.
- D.Va is a former pro-gaming superstar who pilots an experimental military mech in defense of her home country.
- Mei travels the globe applying her scientific expertise to protect the natural world; in battle, her arsenal of climate-manipulating technology has the power to put the opposition on ice.
“We’re building Overwatch to be the first-person shooter we’ve always wanted to play, with a vibrant world, awesome heroes, and an emphasis on tightly focused cooperative gameplay,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re excited to welcome console and PC gamers to the fight for the future, and we can’t wait to see all the incredible things teams are able to accomplish on the battlefield this upcoming spring.”
Players who pre-order Overwatch will receive five alternate character skins: Blackwatch Reyes (Reaper), Strike-Commander Morrison (Soldier: 76), Overgrown Bastion, Security Chief Pharah, and Slipstream Tracer. A Collector’s Edition (Retail Price: $129.99), which will contain the pre-order skins, a full-color art book, the Overwatch soundtrack, and a statue of Soldier: 76, will also be available.
Blizzard released a handful of new Overwatch trailers this weekend, including the brand new gameplay trailer embedded above. You can also check out overview trailers for Genji, D.Va, and Mei, along with a closer look at the pre-order skins.
