Blizzard, developer of World of Warcraft has pulled a brand new FPS shooter out of the bag at BlizzCon 2014 called Overwatch.
Blizzard has announced a brand new title, Overwatch, at BlizzCon 2014. This team-based multiplayer shooter is the first brand new IP – that isn’t in some way spun off Blizzard’s core brands – that the developer has announced in 17 years.
Overwatch is set in the distant future where a war between robots –
known as Omnics – and humans gave rise to the titular elite conclave of heroes. Each member of the Overwatch has special abilities and while certain characters share a class – Tank, Medic and the like – no two characters have the same powers.
Overwatch bears a passing resemblance to Valve’s Team Fortress as it’s a class-based shooter, although the graphics showcased in its announcement trailer and the gameplay footage look closer to the animation style of Pixar.
According to the Overwatch Game Director Jeff Kaplan, the goal with Overwatch is to create an accessible shooter that was both fun and inviting, rather than based on twitch-mechanics. To that end there is no Team Deathmatch mode in the game, and match types centre around accomplishing goals and Attack/Defend gameplay.
Overwatch does not have a release date at present, but Blizzard has announced a closed beta will launch some time next year. Anyone interested in signing up for the beta should head over to the official Overwatch website.
The game is currently only planned for release on the PC platform, although as a shooter, it would certainly lend itself to a console format. Blizzard, however, won’t confirm any plans for a console variant of Overwatch at this time.
Read more: Best games 2014
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
