‘Overwatch’: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Blizzard Entertainment is a juggernaut within the world of PC gaming. Franchises such as Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo have kept the publisher/developer at the forefront of quality PC gaming experiences.

Their next release is a completely new IP that will give both PC and console gamers an addictive new FPS to become fascinated by. Chances are high that you’ve already lost plenty of hours to the fast-paced, character-focused gameplay of Overwatch. Come May 24, 2016, this team-based FPS will finally become available to everyone and provide a new online battle arena to do battle within. Overwatch features the character charm seen in Team Fortress 2 and the well-developed gameplay Blizzard Entertainment is known for producing.

Now that we’re nearing the release of one of May 2016’s bigger game releases, let’s delve even more into everything there is to know about Overwatch.


1. The Plot Takes Place in the Near-Future After the Conclusion of a Global Crisis

Overwatch takes place in the near future on Earth. During that period of time, the human race and robot race (known as the “Omnic”) existed alongside each other in perfect harmony. However, that peaceful partnership is broken once the Omnic goes insane and begins going on a global rampage. Each of the Earth’s nations decided to offer up their most lethal soldiers in order to form a group called “Overwatch.”

The Overwatch organization found a way to fend off the robots and save their planet. Earth’s population was proud of their heroic saviors. Over the next couple of years though, the group’s public image was sullied due to rumors of accusations of corruption and sedition. One day, Overwatch’s main headquarters was attacked and the group soon fell apart. Now it’s up to you to save the remaining members of Overwatch and become the hero the people of Earth once looked up to.

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2. The Game’s Multiplayer Suite Features Modes That Features 6v6 Battles

Currently, Overwatch’s main multiplayer mode comes in the form of three styles: Assault, Escort and Control. Assault challenges the attacking team with capturing two main points on the map. The defending team is responsible for putting a stop to the attacking team’s operation. Escort is a mode where the attacking team must transport a payload to a specific delivery point on the map. The defending team must be stop them from doing so. And finally, Control is a capture point mode where both teams fight to control certain sections on the map. The team that makes their capture percentage reach 100 first wins. Control Mode is played in a best-of-three format.

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3. The Game’s Roster is Split up Between Three Different Character Classes

Overwatch is a 1st-person shooter that focuses primarily on soldiers with strong personalities and certain playstyles. The four class varieties the game’s roster of personalities comes in includes Offense, Defense, Tank and Support. Offense characters can dish out large amounts of damage, but they have low health. Defense characters can supply all types of field support and protect their team’s most contested locations. Tank characters can soak up the most damage from opposing players. And Support characters utilize the type of abilities that enhance their teammates and weaken their enemies. Their stats are as basic as they come, though.

To see which characters are tied to each class type mentioned above, check out the listing posted below:

Offense: Genji, Soldier. 76, McCree, Tracer, Reaper, Pharah
Defense: Mei, Junkrat, Widowmaker, Torbjörn, Bastion, Hanzo
Tank: D.Va, Roadhog, Zarya, Winston, Reinhardt
Support: Lúcio, Symettra, Mercy, Zenyatta



4. The Overwatch Origins Edition Comes With a Wealth of Special In-Game Goodies

Overwatch Origins Edition

Pre-ordering Overwatch’s “Origins Edition” not only gets you a spot in the game’s open beta, it also gets you access to the exclusive Noire Widowmaker character skin. Along with those two bonuses, this special version comes with:

– special Overwatch hero skins: Blackwatch Reyes, Strike-Commander Morrison, Overgrown Bastion, Security Chief Pharah and Slipstream Tracer

– the “Mercy’s Wings” costume attachment for Diablo 3

– the “Baby Winston” pet for World of Warcraft

– an Overwatch-themed Hearthstone card pack

Starcraft 2 in-game portraits for Tracer, Reaper, Pharah, Winston, Bastion and Soldier: 76

– the addition of Tracer as a playable character in Heroes of the Storm

Buy the Origins Edition of Overwatch here.



5. And the Game’s Collector’s Edition With all That and Some Physical Bonus Items

Overwatch Collector's Edition

The Collector’s Edition of Overwatch is truly the definitive package for those who want to go all in on launch day. Not only does it come with everything that’s a part of the Origins Edition, it also includes the following physical items:

– a visual sourcebook
– the game’s soundtrack
– a physical Soldier: 76 statue

Buy the Collector’s Edition of Overwatch here.

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