Players around the world have fought for the
future for more than 119 million hours on PC, PS4™, and Xbox One in
Blizzard Entertainment’s team-shooter phenomenon
The world needs heroes, and citizens from London to Xi’an to Rio
de Janeiro are rising to the occasion to join the ranks of
Overwatch®! Blizzard Entertainment’s critically acclaimed team
shooter launched worldwide on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Windows
PC on May 24, and since then more than 7 million players have
fought for the future in Overwatch, logging more than 119 million
hours combined in one of the most successful global game launches
of all time—and the battle is just getting started.*
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Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch
features 21 unique heroes, each with their own extraordinary
weapons and abilities. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Over the months and weeks leading up to release we saw a lot of
love and support for Overwatch—from Blizzard gamers, FPS fans, and
people who’d never picked up a game like this before—and we’re very
grateful for everyone’s incredible passion and enthusiasm,” said
Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We
poured a lot of effort into creating a game—and a new universe—that
anyone could enjoy. We’re ecstatic to have had such a successful
launch, and we’re looking forward to all of the fun, competition,
and new content still to come.”
Since launch, players have swapped heroes 326 million times and
teamed up to deliver 11 million payloads to their destinations on
the battlefields of tomorrow. In addition to being a smash with
players around the world, Overwatch is a critical hit, and is one
of the best-reviewed games of the year. GameSpot has called
Overwatch “something spectacular,” while Forbes wrote that
“Overwatch, quite simply, is a miracle” and that it’s “a game for
everyone.” According to Game Informer, “Overwatch is an amazing
experience,” concluding in its 10-out-of-10 review that “things
will never be the same.”
What Is Overwatch?
Overwatch takes place on earth in the near future, where teams
of soldiers, scientists, adventurers, and oddities clash for
control of key locations around the world. The game features a
diverse cast of 21 unique heroes—including Reinhardt, the
noble knight from a bygone era; Zenyatta, the robotic monk in
search of enlightenment; and Symmetra, the hard-light “architech”
striving to build a better world—each armed with extraordinary
weapons and incredible abilities. Across a variety of vibrant and
intricately designed maps, players must work together to complete
various objectives, swapping heroes to adapt to the ever-changing
situation and combining their powers to unleash devastating
combos.
Overwatch features a variety of game modes for shooter veterans
and players new to the genre:
- Quick Play automatically matches
players with allies and opponents of a similar skill level—a quick
and easy way to jump into the fight.
- Play Vs. AI mode pits a team of
human players against computer-controlled opponents, with multiple
difficulty settings to choose from.
- Custom Games allow teams of
friends to tweak the game’s rules, including damage and healing
modifiers and which heroes and maps are in play.
- Weekly Brawl! offers up an
unexpected challenge every week, like “Justice Rains from Above”
(an aerial extravaganza starring rocket-powered Pharah and
Mercy, the high-flying healer) and the intense “Arcade”
brawl, which features more health, faster cooldowns, and quick
respawns.
- Training modes include a
Tutorial that teaches players the ropes, a Practice Range where
people can try their hand at heroes in a zero-pressure environment,
and a Practice vs. AI mode where heroes can further hone their
skills.
- . . . And more to
come: sometime after launch, players looking for the ultimate
team challenge will be able to test their mettle, earn ranks, and
show off their skill in Competitive Play. Blizzard also
plans to patch in new heroes and maps in the future at no
additional cost.
As players compete in matches—win or lose—they’ll level up and
earn Loot Boxes, each containing a combination of four items
players can use to customize their heroes, including in-game
credits and cosmetic goodies including skins, sprays, voice lines,
and new animations. Among these items are legendary skins that
dramatically alter heroes’ appearances, such as the
post-apocalyptic Scavenger D.Va, or Lone Wolf Hanzo, which fills
Overwatch’s expert bowman with the spirit of the wild.
Origins Edition, Collector’s Edition,
and More
Windows PC, PS4™, and Xbox One gamers can join the fight for the
future today by purchasing Overwatch: Origins Edition for a
suggested retail price of $59.99 from
www.playoverwatch.com/buy. Overwatch: Origins Edition comes
with a collection of hero skins that provide players with insight
into five characters’ pasts—Blackwatch Reyes (Reaper),
Strike-Commander Morrison (Soldier: 76), Overgrown Bastion,
Security Chief Pharah, and Slipstream Tracer—as well as a cache of
goodies for several Blizzard Entertainment games, including glowing
Mercy wings for Diablo® III, a Baby Winston pet for World of
Warcraft®, a set of heroic StarCraft® II portraits, an
Overwatch-themed Hearthstone® card back, and the playable Tracer
hero for Heroes of the Storm®.†
Overwatch is also available in a limited-edition, retail-only
Collector’s Edition (SRP $129.99, Windows/PS4™/Xbox One), which
contains all of the content listed above along with a full-color
visual sourcebook, the Overwatch soundtrack, and a high-quality
collectible statue of Soldier: 76—the vigilante alter ego of former
Overwatch commander Jack Morrison. Quantities are limited; players
should check with their local retailer for availability. Windows PC
gamers also have the option to download a digital PC edition
($39.99, digital only), which includes all 21 heroes and every map,
providing players with the core Overwatch experience.
Players on any platform looking to augment their collection of
skins, sprays, and other cosmetic goodies may also purchase the
same Loot Boxes that they can earn through gameplay in quantities
of 2 for $1.99, 5 for $4.99, 11 for $9.99, 24 for $19.99, and 50
for $39.99.
In addition to the English version, Overwatch has been localized
into Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German, European
Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and
traditional and simplified Chinese. Overwatch has been rated T for
Teen by the ESRB.
For more information about Overwatch, visit
www.playoverwatch.com. For screenshots, videos, and other media,
visit the Blizzard Entertainment press site at
http://blizzard.gamespress.com/overwatch.
With multiple games in development, Blizzard has numerous
positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for
more information and to learn how to apply.
†Battle.net account required. World of
Warcraft®, Heroes of the Storm®, StarCraft® II, and
Diablo® III content available on
Windows/Mac®. Hearthstone® content available on
Windows/Mac/iOS/Android.
About Blizzard Entertainment,
Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and
the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®, franchises, Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision
Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of
entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's
most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track
record includes nineteen #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year
awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of
the largest in the world, with millions of active players.
*Based on internal company records and reports from key
distribution partners.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements: Information in this press release that involves
Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or
strategies regarding the future, including statements about
Overwatch, including with respect to its features and gameplay, are
forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number
of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard
Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from
those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this
release include unanticipated product delays and other factors
identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s
most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this
release are based upon information available to Blizzard
Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this
release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard
assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when
made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not
guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or
Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and
other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause
actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160602006554/en/
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.Rob HilburgerVP, Global
Communications949.242.8404 dirrhilburger@blizzard.comorAndrew
ReynoldsGlobal Public Relations Director(949) 955-1380
x14301areynolds@blizzard.comorSteven KhooPublic Relations
Manager(949) 955-1380 x12508skhoo@blizzard.com
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