<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
a	O
team-based	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
developed	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
in	O
May	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
release	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
has	O
been	O
both	O
critically	O
and	O
financially	O
successful	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
player	O
base	O
of	O
35	O
million	O
players	O
as	O
of	O
October	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	B-Application
of	I-Application
Overwatch	I-Application
started	O
in	O
the	O
fallout	O
following	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
decision	O
to	O
cancel	O
continued	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
Titan	B-Protocol
around	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
team	O
was	O
transferred	O
to	O
other	O
projects	O
,	O
the	O
remaining	O
team	O
members	O
,	O
led	O
by	O
director	O
Jeff	O
Kaplan	O
,	O
came	O
up	O
with	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
a	O
team-based	O
shooter	O
that	O
borrowed	O
elements	O
from	O
other	O
online	O
shooters	O
like	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
multiplayer	O
online	O
battle	O
arenas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
Overwatchs	O
early	O
assets	O
were	O
borrowed	O
from	O
Titan	B-Protocol
to	O
obtain	O
a	O
proof-of-concept	O
to	O
greenlight	O
further	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
consequences	O
of	O
Titans	B-Protocol
cancellation	O
also	O
led	O
into	O
creating	O
a	O
narrative	O
of	O
an	O
optimistic	O
near-future	O
setting	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
taking	O
place	O
some	O
decades	O
after	O
the	O
formation	O
of	O
the	O
peacekeeping	O
Overwatch	B-Application
team	O
,	O
created	O
in	O
response	O
to	O
a	O
robotic	O
uprising	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Omnic	O
War	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
Overwatch	B-Application
developments	O
continue	O
to	O
produce	O
more	O
content	O
,	O
released	O
free	O
for	O
all	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
title	O
,	O
including	O
new	O
hero	O
characters	O
,	O
maps	O
,	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
seasonal	O
events	O
,	O
customization	O
options	O
for	O
the	O
characters	O
,	O
and	O
external	O
media	O
such	O
as	O
digital	O
comics	O
and	O
shorts	O
to	O
help	O
support	O
the	O
narrative	O
and	O
character	O
's	O
backstories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
has	O
also	O
made	O
changes	O
to	O
make	O
Overwatch	B-Application
more	O
compatible	O
for	O
professional	O
eSports	O
,	O
including	O
support	O
for	O
its	O
Overwatch	B-Application
League	O
that	O
started	O
its	O
first	O
season	O
in	O
January	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	B-Application
of	I-Application
Overwatch	I-Application
followed	O
after	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
the	O
ambitious	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
Titan	B-Protocol
,	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
had	O
been	O
in	O
development	O
at	O
Blizzard	O
for	O
seven	O
years	O
since	O
around	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
director	O
Jeff	O
Kaplan	O
said	O
that	O
Titan	B-Protocol
was	O
a	O
class-based	O
shooter	O
game	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
class	O
having	O
a	O
core	O
set	O
of	O
abilities	O
that	O
the	O
player	O
would	O
expand	O
upon	O
via	O
a	O
skill	O
tree	O
progression	O
;	O
these	O
skills	O
got	O
more	O
powerful	O
the	O
farther	O
the	O
player	O
progressed	O
,	O
and	O
Kaplan	O
said	O
that	O
it	O
ended	O
up	O
being	O
"	O
very	O
cluttered	O
and	O
confused	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
co-founder	O
Michael	O
Morhaime	O
stated	O
that	O
with	O
Titan	B-Protocol
,	O
"	O
We	O
did	O
n't	O
find	O
the	O
fun	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Titan	B-Protocol
had	O
been	O
canceled	O
internally	O
by	O
May	O
2013	O
,	O
though	O
this	O
was	O
n't	O
publicly	O
reported	O
until	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
large	O
Titan	B-Protocol
team	O
of	O
140	O
members	O
was	O
broken	O
up	O
:	O
80	O
were	O
permanently	O
relocated	O
to	O
other	O
divisions	O
in	O
Blizzard	O
,	O
twenty	O
put	O
on	O
loan	O
to	O
other	O
Blizzard	O
projects	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
remaining	O
40	O
tasked	O
to	O
come	O
up	O
with	O
a	O
new	O
project	O
within	O
six	O
weeks	O
,	O
otherwise	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
assigned	O
to	O
other	O
groups	O
within	O
Blizzard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
considered	O
developing	O
a	O
tie-in	O
to	O
the	O
Starcraft	B-Application
universe	O
,	O
focused	O
around	O
individual	O
characters	O
within	O
that	O
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Creative	O
director	O
Chris	O
Metzen	O
noted	O
that	O
to	O
avoid	O
the	O
same	O
failure	O
that	O
Titan	B-Protocol
became	O
,	O
their	O
group	O
had	O
to	O
rethink	O
how	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
more	O
successful	O
games	O
had	O
come	O
about	O
,	O
ignoring	O
the	O
scale	O
and	O
business	O
opportunity	O
of	O
the	O
result	O
and	O
instead	O
understand	O
what	O
tools	O
and	O
skills	O
they	O
had	O
already	O
to	O
build	O
from	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kaplan	O
stated	O
that	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
ideas	O
in	O
the	O
current	O
FPS	O
they	O
wanted	O
to	O
emulate	O
were	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
in-game	O
maneuvers	O
like	O
rocket	O
jumping	O
and	O
grappling	B-Application
hooks	I-Application
that	O
helped	O
players	O
move	O
with	O
fluidity	O
across	O
maps	O
and	O
team-based	O
shooters	O
such	O
as	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
Classic	I-Application
and	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kaplan	O
said	O
that	O
their	O
team	O
considered	O
how	O
to	O
adapt	O
the	O
large-scale	O
and	O
fast-paced	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
with	O
the	O
smaller	O
scale	O
and	O
cooperative	O
nature	O
of	O
MOBAs	O
,	O
forming	O
the	O
basis	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Metzen	O
also	O
commented	O
that	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
teamwork	O
in	O
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
partially	O
influenced	O
by	O
their	O
own	O
team	O
's	O
current	O
morale	O
following	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
Titan	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Metzen	O
said	O
that	O
during	O
Titans	B-Protocol
development	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
was	O
highly	O
fractured	O
which	O
impacted	O
the	O
project	O
's	O
cancellation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
starting	O
Overwatch	B-Application
with	O
a	O
smaller	O
group	O
,	O
they	O
all	O
wanted	O
to	O
come	O
together	O
and	O
support	O
each	O
other	O
to	O
make	O
their	O
next	O
game	O
a	O
success	O
,	O
"	O
a	O
redemption	O
story	O
for	O
us	O
as	O
people	O
and	O
as	O
craftsmen	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Simplicity	O
of	O
design	O
was	O
a	O
high-value	O
goal	O
,	O
taking	O
cues	O
from	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
simple	O
approach	O
used	O
in	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
Hearthstone	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
a	O
narrative	O
and	O
artistic	O
standpoint	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
approach	O
came	O
out	O
of	O
emotional	O
impact	O
of	O
the	O
failed	O
Titan	B-Protocol
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kaplan	O
said	O
his	O
small	O
team	O
was	O
"	O
very	O
nervous	O
about	O
our	O
future	O
"	O
when	O
tasked	O
to	O
come	O
up	O
with	O
a	O
new	O
game	O
concept	O
,	O
but	O
this	O
soon	O
solidified	O
into	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
"	O
a	O
future	O
worth	O
fighting	O
for	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
also	O
been	O
a	O
phrase	O
used	O
internally	O
for	O
Titans	B-Protocol
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
gave	O
them	O
the	O
idea	O
to	O
set	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
a	O
near	O
future	O
,	O
and	O
started	O
evaluating	O
other	O
games	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
period	O
,	O
including	O
recent	O
Call	B-Application
of	I-Application
Duty	I-Application
and	O
Battlefield	O
games	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
of	I-Application
Us	I-Application
and	O
Fallout	B-Application
4	I-Application
,	O
but	O
found	O
all	O
these	O
titles	O
presented	O
a	O
dark	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
aware	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
various	O
expansions	O
for	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
,	O
had	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
least-visited	O
areas	O
,	O
which	O
they	O
attributed	O
to	O
the	O
oppressive	O
visuals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
core	O
ideas	O
down	O
,	O
the	O
remaining	O
Titan	B-Protocol
team	O
began	O
putting	O
these	O
together	O
as	O
a	O
prototype	O
to	O
present	O
to	O
management	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
took	O
the	O
classes	O
they	O
had	O
made	O
for	O
Titan	B-Protocol
and	O
remade	O
these	O
as	O
Heroes	O
,	O
giving	O
them	O
core	O
abilities	O
from	O
the	O
Titan	B-Protocol
skill	O
set	O
they	O
believed	O
worked	O
best	O
together	O
,	O
and	O
developing	O
backstory	O
and	O
personality	O
for	O
the	O
heroes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Existing	O
art	O
assets	O
from	O
Titan	B-Protocol
for	O
the	O
various	O
player	O
avatars	O
were	O
also	O
reused	O
and	O
refined	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
the	O
heroes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
initial	O
gameplay	O
used	O
maps	O
they	O
had	O
developed	O
for	O
Titan	B-Protocol
along	O
with	O
Tracer	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
reworked	O
Titan	B-Protocol
heroes	O
;	O
at	O
that	O
point	O
,	O
they	O
had	O
not	O
included	O
any	O
animations	O
so	O
Tracer	O
would	O
fire	O
by	O
shooting	O
lasers	O
out	O
of	O
her	O
eyes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
became	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
second	O
attempt	O
at	O
launching	O
a	O
new	O
franchise	O
since	O
StarCraft	B-Application
in	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
additional	O
heroes	O
came	O
from	O
the	O
classes	O
they	O
created	O
for	O
the	O
Crossroads	O
concept	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Starcraft	B-Application
tie-in	O
that	O
they	O
brainstormed	O
prior	O
to	O
settling	O
on	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initial	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
began	O
with	O
creating	O
the	O
first	O
Hero	O
character	O
,	O
Tracer	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
character	O
from	O
Titan	B-Protocol
with	O
similar	O
time-manipulation	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
had	O
even	O
considered	O
releasing	O
Overwatch	B-Application
with	O
a	O
limited	O
set	O
of	O
heroes	O
at	O
this	O
point	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
had	O
felt	O
the	O
game	O
already	O
had	O
a	O
finished	O
feel	O
to	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
characters	O
were	O
adaptions	O
from	O
the	O
Titan	B-Protocol
classes	O
:	O
Reinhardt	O
had	O
started	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Juggernaut	O
"	O
character	O
from	O
Titan	B-Protocol
,	O
for	O
example	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kaplan	O
knew	O
they	O
had	O
to	O
have	O
more	O
than	O
nine	O
heroes	O
as	O
to	O
separate	O
themselves	O
from	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
which	O
featured	O
nine	O
distinct	O
classes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
with	O
half	O
a	O
dozen	O
features	O
to	O
bring	O
in	O
a	O
wider	O
audience	O
,	O
including	O
an	O
accessibility	O
feature	O
for	O
color	O
blind	O
individuals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
inspired	O
them	O
to	O
forego	O
plans	O
to	O
release	O
Overwatch	B-Application
as	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
model	O
with	O
microtransactions	O
or	O
with	O
paid	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
but	O
instead	O
make	O
it	O
a	O
single-purchase	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Keller	O
said	O
that	O
they	O
wanted	O
players	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
jump	O
to	O
any	O
Hero	O
as	O
necessitated	O
by	O
the	O
situation	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
free-to-play	O
or	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
approach	O
could	O
limit	O
that	O
ability	O
if	O
none	O
of	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
players	O
had	O
purchased	O
access	O
to	O
that	O
hero	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
promote	O
a	O
friendlier	O
playing	O
environment	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
penalizes	O
players	O
that	O
"	O
rage	O
quit	O
"	O
(	O
purposely	O
leaving	O
a	O
match	O
before	O
it	O
is	O
complete	O
)	O
with	O
a	O
penalty	O
on	O
player	O
experience	O
points	O
after	O
a	O
match	O
,	O
and	O
will	O
permanently	O
ban	O
players	O
that	O
they	O
find	O
"	O
cheating	O
or	O
using	O
hacks	O
,	O
bots	B-Protocol
,	O
or	O
third-party	O
software	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
primary	O
gameplay	O
modes	O
were	O
easily	O
developed	O
to	O
account	O
for	O
unique	O
abilities	O
of	O
all	O
characters	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
also	O
had	O
thought	O
about	O
a	O
Capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
Flag	I-Application
mode	O
for	O
several	O
years	O
,	O
recognizing	O
that	O
most	O
team-based	O
first-person	O
shooters	O
included	O
some	O
type	O
of	O
variant	O
on	O
this	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thus	O
they	O
would	O
either	O
find	O
matches	O
reduced	O
to	O
players	O
selecting	O
the	O
speediest	O
characters	O
,	O
or	O
having	O
to	O
put	O
so	O
many	O
restrictions	O
in	O
place	O
that	O
the	O
result	O
game	O
no	O
longer	O
felt	O
like	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
having	O
no	O
plans	O
to	O
retain	O
the	O
Capture	B-Application
the	I-Application
Flag	I-Application
mode	O
after	O
the	O
event	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
will	O
keep	O
the	O
event	O
as	O
a	O
custom	O
game	O
mode	O
with	O
additional	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
this	O
feedback	O
,	O
they	O
redesigned	O
competitive	O
mode	O
to	O
be	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
progression	O
system	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
Hearthstone	B-Application
,	O
where	O
initially	O
a	O
player	O
would	O
generally	O
progress	O
along	O
a	O
five-tier	O
ladder	O
system	O
the	O
more	O
matches	O
they	O
played	O
,	O
but	O
as	O
they	O
moved	O
into	O
higher	O
ranks	O
,	O
would	O
find	O
further	O
progression	O
to	O
be	O
based	O
more	O
on	O
skill	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
improved	O
competitive	O
mode	O
entered	O
open	O
beta	O
testing	O
within	O
net	O
's	O
public	O
test	O
region	O
on	O
June	O
21	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Competitive	O
mode	O
for	O
Windows	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
was	O
added	O
on	O
June	O
28	O
,	O
June	O
30	O
and	O
July	O
1	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
United	O
States	O
Patent	O
and	O
Trademark	O
Office	O
suspended	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
application	O
for	O
a	O
trademark	O
for	O
Overwatch	B-Application
due	O
to	O
"	O
a	O
likelihood	O
of	O
confusion	O
"	O
with	O
a	O
previously	O
registered	O
trademark	O
by	O
Innovis	O
Labs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
week	O
later	O
,	O
on	O
October	O
21	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
Innovis	O
Labs	O
surrendered	O
their	O
trademark	O
registration	O
for	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
title	O
's	O
creative	O
director	O
,	O
Chris	O
Metzen	O
,	O
acknowledged	O
that	O
parts	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
maps	O
,	O
share	O
"	O
continuity	O
"	O
with	O
Titan	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Citing	O
a	O
desire	O
to	O
keep	O
its	O
game	O
styles	O
"	O
simple	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
because	O
it	O
contradicted	O
its	O
emphasis	O
on	O
accomplishing	O
goals	O
as	O
a	O
team	O
rather	O
than	O
trying	O
to	O
achieve	O
large	O
numbers	O
of	O
kills	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
does	O
not	O
contain	O
a	O
traditional	O
deathmatch	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
narrative	O
for	O
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
led	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
senior	O
game	O
designer	O
Michael	O
Chu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
gives	O
the	O
developers	O
some	O
flexibility	O
as	O
to	O
where	O
they	O
can	O
take	O
the	O
story	O
as	O
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
expanded	O
over	O
the	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chu	O
said	O
that	O
with	O
these	O
types	O
of	O
events	O
,	O
they	O
will	O
encourage	O
players	O
to	O
explore	O
the	O
other	O
forms	O
of	O
media	O
that	O
Blizzard	O
is	O
using	O
to	O
develop	O
the	O
Overwatch	B-Application
narrative	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
prompt	O
fans	O
to	O
continue	O
to	O
explore	O
and	O
speculate	O
on	O
the	O
world	O
and	O
characters	O
they	O
created	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
felt	O
they	O
had	O
strength	O
in	O
developing	O
a	O
narrative	O
for	O
a	O
large	O
universe	O
of	O
characters	O
as	O
they	O
had	O
done	O
for	O
Warcraft	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chu	O
expressed	O
that	O
they	O
wanted	O
to	O
diverge	O
from	O
the	O
fantasy	O
and	O
science	O
fiction	O
elements	O
that	O
were	O
prominent	O
in	O
their	O
main	O
three	O
franchises	O
(	O
Warcraft	B-Application
,	O
StarCraft	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Diablo	B-Application
)	O
,	O
stating	O
"	O
we	O
wanted	O
to	O
try	O
something	O
different	O
with	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
so	O
what	O
we	O
decided	O
to	O
go	O
for	O
was	O
the	O
future	O
of	O
Earth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
it	O
was	O
determined	O
Overwatch	B-Application
would	O
be	O
played	O
on	O
a	O
near-futuristic	O
version	O
of	O
Earth	O
,	O
the	O
writers	O
recognized	O
the	O
possibility	O
of	O
having	O
a	O
global-spanning	O
set	O
of	O
characters	O
and	O
locations	O
set	O
in	O
an	O
"	O
inspirational	O
future	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Metzen	O
sees	O
the	O
Overwatch	B-Application
universe	O
as	O
having	O
potential	O
dynamics	O
over	O
time	O
,	O
but	O
Blizzard	O
does	O
not	O
yet	O
have	O
plans	O
for	O
how	O
to	O
implement	O
this	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cast	O
of	O
playable	O
characters	O
in	O
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
selected	O
to	O
portray	O
diverse	O
representations	O
of	O
genders	O
and	O
ethnicities	O
,	O
including	O
males	O
,	O
females	O
,	O
and	O
non-human	O
characters	O
such	O
as	O
robots	O
and	O
a	O
gorilla	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
need	O
for	O
a	O
diverse	O
cast	O
was	O
important	O
to	O
the	O
developers	O
,	O
as	O
some	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
previous	O
games	O
had	O
been	O
criticized	O
before	O
for	O
missing	O
this	O
mark	O
;	O
Metzen	O
explained	O
that	O
even	O
his	O
daughter	O
had	O
asked	O
him	O
why	O
all	O
the	O
female	O
characters	O
from	O
Warcraft	B-Application
seemed	O
to	O
be	O
only	O
wearing	O
swimsuits	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Metzen	O
stated	O
:	O
"	O
Specifically	O
for	O
Overwatch	B-Application
over	O
the	O
past	O
year	O
we	O
've	O
been	O
really	O
cognizant	O
of	O
that	O
,	O
trying	O
not	O
to	O
oversexualize	O
the	O
female	O
characters.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
reiterated	O
their	O
goal	O
to	O
have	O
a	O
diverse	O
cast	O
with	O
Tracer	O
's	O
reveal	O
,	O
stating	O
,	O
"	O
from	O
the	O
beginning	O
,	O
we	O
've	O
wanted	O
the	O
universe	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
to	O
feel	O
welcoming	O
and	O
inclusive	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
reflect	O
the	O
diversity	O
of	O
our	O
players	O
around	O
the	O
world.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
characters	O
evolved	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
and	O
their	O
abilities	O
they	O
had	O
developed	O
for	O
Titan	B-Protocol
,	O
including	O
Tracer	O
,	O
Widowmaker	O
,	O
Bastion	O
,	O
Soldier	O
:	O
76	O
,	O
Symmetra	O
,	O
Torbjorn	O
,	O
and	O
Reinhardt	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
choice	O
of	O
Tracer	O
as	O
the	O
cover	O
art	O
was	O
purposely	O
to	O
contrast	O
Overwatch	B-Application
from	O
most	O
other	O
shooter	O
games	O
that	O
feature	O
a	O
grizzled-looking	O
older	O
male	O
soldier	O
,	O
with	O
Kaplan	O
saying	O
this	O
was	O
to	O
show	O
that	O
"	O
normal	O
things	O
are	O
normal	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
regards	O
,	O
Torbjörn	O
was	O
the	O
defining	O
character	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
as	O
while	O
he	O
was	O
not	O
created	O
first	O
,	O
his	O
art	O
style	O
was	O
originally	O
created	O
by	O
Tsang	O
to	O
help	O
bridge	O
the	O
gap	O
between	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
universe	O
to	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
process	O
gave	O
them	O
a	O
sufficient	O
starting	O
point	O
to	O
work	O
from	O
in	O
introducing	O
Doomfist	O
as	O
a	O
playable	O
hero	O
in	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Not	O
all	O
updates	O
will	O
be	O
equivalent	O
across	O
platforms	O
;	O
a	O
planned	O
update	O
will	O
reduce	O
the	O
damage	O
of	O
Torbjörn	O
's	O
auto-aiming	O
turrets	O
on	O
console	O
versions	O
but	O
will	O
not	O
be	O
applied	O
to	O
the	O
Windows	O
version	O
,	O
while	O
a	O
later	O
patch	O
for	O
consoles	O
helped	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
precision	O
of	O
aiming	O
with	O
controller	B-Device
analog	O
sticks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
launch	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
no	O
plans	O
for	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
for	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
with	O
Kaplan	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
architecture	O
and	O
their	O
optimizations	O
for	O
Overwatch	B-Application
were	O
"	O
just	O
too	O
challenging	O
"	O
to	O
support	O
initially	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kaplan	O
has	O
stated	O
that	O
they	O
have	O
looked	O
into	O
a	O
version	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
which	O
they	O
considered	O
similarly	O
challenging	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
specifications	O
,	O
and	O
would	O
complicate	O
the	O
nature	O
of	O
updating	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
a	O
timely	O
fashion	O
on	O
all	O
consoles	O
,	O
but	O
still	O
consider	O
the	O
platform	O
a	O
viable	O
one	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Themed	O
limited-time	O
modes	O
and	O
cosmetics	O
have	O
also	O
been	O
made	O
available	O
for	O
events	O
and	O
holidays	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
2016	O
Summer	O
Olympics	O
or	O
Halloween	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
case	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Overwatch	B-Application
Uprising	O
"	O
event	O
during	O
April	O
2017	O
,	O
Kaplan	O
said	O
that	O
players	O
wanted	O
to	O
have	O
more	O
story	O
put	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
inspiring	O
them	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
new	O
story-driven	O
player-vs-environment	O
mode	O
set	O
during	O
Overwatch	B-Application
's	O
past	O
that	O
helped	O
to	O
create	O
some	O
new	O
narrative	O
and	O
provide	O
cosmetic	O
items	O
to	O
reflect	O
that	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
work	O
was	O
put	O
on	O
hold	O
until	O
late	O
2018	O
,	O
following	O
another	O
hack-a-thon	O
event	O
where	O
they	O
fleshed	O
out	O
more	O
game	O
ideas	O
and	O
scripting	O
to	O
support	O
it	O
,	O
at	O
which	O
point	O
it	O
was	O
determined	O
to	O
make	O
this	O
a	O
feature	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
performed	O
one	O
such	O
mass-ban	O
of	O
players	O
they	O
had	O
found	O
to	O
be	O
using	O
aimbots	B-Protocol
and	O
other	O
cheating	O
assistants	O
in	O
late	O
July	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
Overwatchs	O
release	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
sought	O
legal	O
action	O
against	O
Bossland	O
Hacks	O
for	O
Watchover	O
Tyrant	O
tool	O
that	O
enables	O
certain	O
cheats	O
and	O
advantages	O
to	O
players	O
in	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
among	O
other	O
features	O
,	O
eventually	O
winning	O
the	O
case	O
by	O
default	O
and	O
being	O
awarded	O
$8.5	O
million	O
in	O
damages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
this	O
end	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
has	O
also	O
explicitly	O
warned	O
users	O
of	O
using	O
third-party	O
applications	O
that	O
provide	O
additional	O
in-game	O
feedback	O
to	O
players	O
about	O
their	O
performance	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Visor	O
,	O
software	O
that	O
fed	O
into	O
an	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
system	O
to	O
provide	O
additional	O
information	O
in-match	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
performance	O
,	O
and	O
Pursuit	O
,	O
which	O
tracked	O
players	O
 '	O
performance	O
and	O
gave	O
additional	O
statistics	O
after	O
the	O
conclusion	O
of	O
a	O
match	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
had	O
also	O
emphasized	O
the	O
need	O
to	O
prevent	O
Overwatch	B-Application
from	O
becoming	O
a	O
toxic	O
environment	O
,	O
with	O
Kaplan	O
saying	O
that	O
they	O
want	O
to	O
remove	O
players	O
that	O
frequently	O
contribute	O
toxicity	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
many	O
observers	O
believed	O
the	O
change	O
was	O
needed	O
to	O
combat	O
the	O
popular	O
"	O
GOATS	O
"	O
composition	O
-	O
a	O
three-tank	O
,	O
three-support	O
team	O
named	O
for	O
the	O
Overwatch	B-Application
Contenders	O
team	O
that	O
popularized	O
this	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
GOATS	O
composition	O
had	O
been	O
dominating	O
both	O
Overwatch	B-Application
League	O
play	O
for	O
most	O
of	O
its	O
2019	O
season	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
very	O
common	O
in	O
normal	O
competitive	O
play	O
,	O
causing	O
players	O
and	O
viewers	O
to	O
become	O
disinterested	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Role	O
Queue	O
eliminates	O
GOATS	O
and	O
thus	O
expected	O
to	O
bring	O
new	O
life	O
to	O
Overwatch	B-Application
according	O
to	O
journalists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Separately	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
,	O
through	O
its	O
China	O
regional	O
offices	O
,	O
have	O
taken	O
developer	O
4399	O
to	O
court	O
over	O
its	O
mobile	O
title	O
Heroes	O
of	O
Warfare	O
in	O
October	O
2017	O
,	O
citing	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
clone	O
in	O
art	O
,	O
heroes	O
,	O
and	O
gameplay	O
design	O
from	O
Overwatch	B-Application
;	O
this	O
is	O
the	O
second	O
such	O
cloned	O
title	O
produced	O
by	O
4399	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
that	O
Blizzard	O
had	O
already	O
succeeded	O
in	O
having	O
removed	O
from	O
the	O
various	O
app	O
stores	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
playable	O
through	O
backward	O
compatibility	O
on	O
the	O
next	O
console	O
generation	O
,	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X	I-Device
and	I-Device
Series	I-Device
S	I-Device
and	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
launched	O
in	O
November	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
released	O
a	O
performance	O
optimization	O
patch	O
for	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
version	O
on	O
March	O
9	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
that	O
allowed	O
players	O
to	O
run	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
up	O
to	O
120	O
frames	O
per	O
second	O
on	O
supported	O
monitors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
formally	O
announced	O
at	O
the	O
BlizzCon	O
event	O
on	O
November	O
7	O
,	O
2014	O
;	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
playable	O
during	O
the	O
event	O
to	O
all	O
attendees	O
,	O
with	O
fourteen	O
characters	O
available	O
to	O
select	O
from	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
month	O
after	O
the	O
BlizzCon	O
event	O
,	O
in	O
December	O
2014	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
published	O
character	O
introduction	O
videos	O
to	O
its	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
channel	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
followed	O
up	O
on	O
this	O
May	O
2015	O
by	O
posting	O
weekly	O
videos	O
of	O
game	O
footage	O
and	O
character	O
highlights	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
closed	O
beta	O
period	O
for	O
Overwatch	B-Application
across	O
all	O
three	O
platforms	O
began	O
on	O
October	O
27	O
,	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
March	O
2016	O
release	O
announcement	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
also	O
announced	O
an	O
open	O
beta	O
period	O
from	O
May	O
5	O
to	O
9	O
for	O
any	O
registered	O
user	O
of	O
the	O
Battle.net	B-Operating_System
client	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
week	O
prior	O
to	O
release	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
arranged	O
to	O
have	O
three	O
giant-sized	O
boxes	O
(	O
approximately	O
tall	O
)	O
of	O
various	O
Overwatch	B-Application
heroes	O
,	O
as	O
if	O
being	O
sold	O
as	O
packaged	O
action	O
figures	O
,	O
put	O
on	O
display	O
across	O
the	O
globe	O
at	O
Hollywood	O
,	O
Paris	O
,	O
and	O
Busan	O
,	O
South	O
Korea	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Propelled	O
by	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
Blizzard	O
had	O
over	O
50%	O
of	O
the	O
American	O
advertisement	O
share	O
among	O
gaming	O
industry	O
brands	O
from	O
May	O
16	O
to	O
June	O
15	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
platforms	O
on	O
May	O
24	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
servers	O
coming	O
online	O
at	O
00:00	O
BST	O
that	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
special	O
editions	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
were	O
released	O
alongside	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Origins	O
Edition	O
,	O
available	O
both	O
as	O
a	O
downloadable	O
and	O
retail	O
product	O
,	O
includes	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
and	O
five	O
additional	O
character	O
skins	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
other	O
bonus	O
items	O
for	O
other	O
Blizzard	O
games	O
via	O
Battle.net	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Those	O
that	O
purchased	O
either	O
the	O
Origins	O
or	O
Collectors	O
Editions	O
received	O
the	O
Baby	O
Winston	O
battle	O
pet	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
released	O
a	O
digital	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
edition	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
in	O
honor	O
of	O
its	O
first	O
anniversary	O
on	O
May	O
23	O
,	O
2017	O
;	O
it	O
includes	O
all	O
content	O
from	O
the	O
Origins	O
Edition	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
ten	O
free	O
loot	O
boxes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
has	O
expressed	O
interest	O
in	O
supporting	O
cross-platform	B-Application
play	I-Application
between	O
console	O
systems	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
,	O
though	O
has	O
no	O
plans	O
for	O
Windows-supported	O
cross-play	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
precision	O
advantage	O
of	O
keyboard	O
and	O
mouse	O
controls	O
over	O
controller-based	O
ones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
opted	O
to	O
tell	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
across	O
various	O
mediums	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
include	O
a	O
story	O
mode	O
;	O
Chu	O
stated	O
,	O
"	O
One	O
of	O
the	O
things	O
that	O
's	O
really	O
great	O
is	O
we	O
're	O
able	O
to	O
leverage	O
the	O
strengths	O
of	O
these	O
different	O
mediums	O
to	O
tell	O
different	O
parts	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
,	O
"	O
citing	O
Soldier	O
:	O
76	O
's	O
appearances	O
in	O
fake	O
news	O
reports	O
,	O
an	O
animated	O
video	O
narrated	O
from	O
his	O
perspective	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Hero	O
short	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chu	O
has	O
also	O
remarked	O
that	O
the	O
reasoning	O
for	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
method	O
of	O
storytelling	O
with	O
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
an	O
emphasis	O
on	O
a	O
"	O
gameplay	O
first	O
"	O
philosophy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2016	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
releasing	O
comics	O
and	O
animated	O
shorts	O
based	O
on	O
Overwatch	B-Application
in	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
related	O
media	O
included	O
plans	O
for	O
a	O
graphic	O
novel	O
called	O
Overwatch	B-Application
:	O
First	O
Strike	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
have	O
focused	O
on	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
several	O
in-game	O
characters	O
including	O
Soldier	O
:	O
76	O
,	O
Torbjörn	O
,	O
Reaper	O
,	O
and	O
Reinhardt	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
began	O
releasing	O
the	O
series	O
of	O
animated	O
shorts	O
in	O
March	O
2016	O
;	O
the	O
shorts	O
maintained	O
the	O
style	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
cinematic	O
trailer	O
,	O
which	O
centered	O
on	O
a	O
battle	O
in	O
which	O
Tracer	O
and	O
Winston	O
fought	O
Reaper	O
and	O
Widowmaker	O
in	O
the	O
Overwatch	B-Application
Museum	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
characters	O
and	O
elements	O
have	O
been	O
brought	O
over	O
to	O
the	O
crossover	O
MOBA	O
game	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Storm	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nine	O
characters	O
appear	O
as	O
playable	O
heroes	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
battlegrounds	B-Protocol
based	O
on	O
the	O
Overwatch	B-Application
maps	O
Hanamura	O
and	O
Volskaya	O
Industries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tracer	O
debuted	O
as	O
a	O
playable	O
character	O
in	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Storm	I-Application
in	O
its	O
April	O
2016	O
update	O
,	O
nearly	O
a	O
month	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
Overwatch-themed	O
skins	O
have	O
been	O
introduced	O
for	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Storm	I-Application
in	O
the	O
“	O
Overwatch	B-Application
cosplay	O
”	O
event	O
in	O
May	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
and	O
Dark	O
Horse	O
Comics	O
announced	O
a	O
partnership	O
at	O
the	O
2016	O
San	O
Diego	O
Comic-Con	O
International	O
that	O
will	O
have	O
Dark	O
Horse	O
publish	O
the	O
existing	O
Overwatch	B-Application
comics	O
to	O
date	O
under	O
their	O
label	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
future	O
comics	O
,	O
and	O
will	O
publish	O
a	O
100-page	O
art	O
book	O
The	O
Art	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
to	O
be	O
released	O
mid-2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Funko	O
has	O
produced	O
several	O
Overwatch	B-Application
character	O
figurines	O
in	O
their	O
Pop	O
line	O
since	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Good	O
Smile	O
Company	O
announced	O
they	O
will	O
produce	O
Nendoroid	O
figurines	O
of	O
various	O
Overwatch	B-Application
characters	O
in	O
2017	O
and	O
onward	O
,	O
starting	O
with	O
Tracer	O
,	O
and	O
followed	O
by	O
Mercy	O
and	O
Mei	O
.	O
</s>
