Overwatch is an upcoming multiplayer first-person shooter in development by Blizzard Entertainment. Unveiled at BlizzCon 2014, the game emphasizes cooperative gameplay using a cast of various heroes, each with their own abilities and roles within a team. The game entered closed beta in North America and Europe on October 27, 2015, with plans to bring the beta to Asia at a later date. The game is scheduled to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in the first or second quarter of 2016.
Overwatch will feature squad-based combat with two opposing teams of six players each. Players choose one of several hero characters, each with their own unique abilities and role classes. The four character roles include: offense-oriented characters with high speed and attack but low defense, defense-oriented characters meant to form choke points for enemies, support characters that provide buffs and debuffs for their allies and enemies respectively, such as healing or speed alterations, and tank characters that have a large amount of armor and hitpoints to withstand enemy attacks. Players can switch between characters in-game following deaths, which is encouraged by the game's overall design. The game's maps are inspired by real-world locations around the world.
The game's newly launched website reveals that the standard edition of Overwatch will cost $40 on PC. However, the Origins Edition (the only version available for Xbox One and PS4) costs $60. In addition, GameStop's website reveals a $130 collector's edition.
