While BlizzCon's opening ceremony was filled with all sorts of exciting announcements, none was bigger than the reveal of Overwatch, a team-based, multiplayer first-person shooter "with an emphasis on accessibility and pure fun." And Blizzard's first new franchise in 17 years.
Overwatch takes place in a technogically advanced, highly stylized future Earth. Set in a time of global crisis, an international task force of soldiers, scientists, adventurers, and oddities known as Overwatch have had to band together to restore peace to a war-torn world. But after many years, the group eventually disbanded. "Overwatch might be gone now…" Blizzard teased, "but the world still needs heroes."
Overwatch is said to bring Blizzard's "signature easy-to-learn, hard-to-master" gameplay mechanics to the first-person shooter genre.
"Harnessing the power of their hero of choice, players will join forces in teams of six and battle each other across a range of futuristic global locations, from the hologram-lit streets of London to a bazaar in the shadows of a high-tech Egyptian pyramid," Blizzard explained. "Every battlefield is iconic and built to highlight each character’s unique abilities, and fights can shift from streets to rooftops to open skies within the span of a breath."
Overwatch boasts a number of different heroes, each with their own distinct weapons and superabilities. Blizzard gave us a quick rundown of a few of the heroes, but you can read more about the full roster at the official website.
- Tracer, a former British test pilot who shrugs at danger, can execute impossible acrobatic assaults thanks to her ability to teleport, drop energy bombs, and even reverse time.
- Reinhardt, a hulking German soldier in battle armor, can charge great distances and pin his enemies to a wall or slam the ground with his rocket hammer to knock them off their feet.
- Hanzo, a bow-wielding Japanese mercenary, has the ability to scale walls with his bare hands, fire off a tracking device that illuminates nearby enemies for his team, and unleash a huge spirit dragon that does grievous damage to all enemies in its path.
- Symmetra, an Indian architech, manipulates light and energy to shield her allies and damage her enemies—and she can turn the tide of any battle by building a device that instantly transports her teammates to the front lines.
Each hero, despite their differences, fills one of four unique roles — Offense, Defense, Tank, or Support. The key to success is assembling a well-balanced team and creatively combining your Heroes' powers. Blizzard promises, however, that no matter which hero or playstyle you prefer, you'll be able to team up "and accomplish the incredible in Overwatch."
“Overwatch is our take on a vibrant, near-future universe with amped-up characters and action-packed team-based gameplay,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. “With every new Blizzard game, we look at our favorite aspects of a genre and put our own spin on things. Our goal with Overwatch is to create an awesome FPS experience that’s more accessible to a much wider audience while delivering the action and depth that shooter fans love.”
