<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
a	O
2016	O
team-based	O
multiplayer	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
game	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
released	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
in	O
May	O
2016	O
and	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
in	O
October	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cross-platform	B-Application
play	I-Application
was	O
supported	O
across	O
all	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Described	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
hero	O
shooter	O
"	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
assigned	O
players	O
into	O
two	O
teams	O
of	O
six	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
player	O
selecting	O
from	O
a	O
large	O
roster	O
of	O
characters	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
heroes	O
"	O
,	O
with	O
unique	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
fourth	O
major	O
franchise	O
and	O
came	O
about	O
following	O
the	O
2014	O
cancellation	O
of	O
a	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
,	O
Titan	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
portion	O
of	O
the	O
Titan	B-Protocol
team	O
were	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
team-based	O
first-person	O
shooters	O
like	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
the	O
popularity	O
of	O
multiplayer	O
online	B-Application
battle	O
arena	O
games	O
,	O
creating	O
a	O
hero-based	O
shooter	O
which	O
emphasized	O
teamwork	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
elements	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
borrow	O
concepts	O
from	O
the	O
canceled	O
Titan	B-Protocol
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
unveiled	O
at	O
the	O
2014	O
BlizzCon	O
event	O
and	O
was	O
in	O
a	O
closed	O
beta	O
from	O
late	O
2015	O
through	O
early	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
received	O
universal	O
acclaim	O
from	O
critics	O
,	O
who	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
its	O
accessibility	O
,	O
the	O
diverse	O
appeal	O
of	O
its	O
hero	O
characters	O
,	O
its	O
cartoonish	O
art	O
style	O
,	O
and	O
enjoyable	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
considered	O
to	O
be	O
among	O
the	O
greatest	O
video	O
games	O
ever	O
made	O
,	O
receiving	O
numerous	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
awards	O
and	O
other	O
accolades	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
popular	O
esport	O
,	O
with	O
Blizzard	O
funding	O
and	O
producing	O
the	O
global	O
Overwatch	B-Application
League	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
2019	O
and	O
entered	O
beta	O
in	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
versus	O
player	O
portion	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
free	O
to	O
play	O
,	O
with	O
all	O
cosmetic	O
items	O
from	O
Overwatch	B-Application
carried	O
over	O
while	O
introducing	O
new	O
heroes	O
,	O
maps	O
,	O
and	O
gamemodes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
3	O
,	O
2022	O
,	O
the	O
Overwatch	B-Application
servers	O
were	O
shut	O
down	O
in	O
preparation	O
for	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
2	I-Application
the	O
next	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
an	O
online	B-Application
team-based	O
game	O
generally	O
played	O
as	O
a	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
change	O
their	O
hero	O
during	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
a	O
match	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
goal	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
design	O
was	O
to	O
encourage	O
dynamic	O
team	O
compositions	O
that	O
adapt	O
to	O
the	O
situation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
featured	O
game	O
modes	O
for	O
casual	O
play	O
,	O
competitive	O
ranked	O
play	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
supporting	O
esports	O
competitions	O
including	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
Overwatch	B-Application
League	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
backstory	O
to	O
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
described	O
through	O
animated	O
shorts	O
and	O
other	O
information	O
distributed	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
in	O
promoting	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
set	O
sixty	O
years	O
into	O
the	O
future	O
of	O
a	O
fictionalized	O
Earth	O
,	O
thirty	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
resolution	O
of	O
what	O
is	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Omnic	O
Crisis.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Humans	O
developed	O
robots	O
with	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
called	O
"	O
Omnics	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
put	O
to	O
use	O
to	O
achieve	O
economic	O
equality	O
,	O
and	O
began	O
to	O
be	O
treated	O
as	O
people	O
in	O
their	O
own	O
right	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
individual	O
nations	O
 '	O
efforts	O
failed	O
to	O
ward	O
off	O
the	O
Omnics	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
Nations	O
quickly	O
formed	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
an	O
international	O
task	O
force	O
designed	O
to	O
combat	O
this	O
threat	O
and	O
restore	O
order	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
veteran	O
soldiers	O
from	O
the	O
Soldier	O
Enhancement	O
Program	O
were	O
put	O
in	O
charge	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
:	O
Gabriel	O
Reyes	O
and	O
Jack	O
Morrison	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
Overwatch	B-Application
successfully	O
quelled	O
the	O
robotic	O
uprising	O
and	O
brought	O
many	O
talented	O
individuals	O
to	O
the	O
forefront	O
,	O
a	O
rift	O
developed	O
between	O
Reyes	O
and	O
Morrison	O
due	O
to	O
Reyes	O
being	O
the	O
official	O
leader	O
of	O
the	O
group	O
despite	O
everyone	O
viewing	O
the	O
more	O
popular	O
Morrison	O
as	O
their	O
true	O
leader	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eventually	O
,	O
Morrison	O
was	O
made	O
the	O
leader	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
while	O
Reyes	O
was	O
given	O
charge	O
of	O
Blackwatch	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
's	O
covert	O
operations	O
division	O
,	O
fighting	O
terrorist	O
organizations	O
like	O
Talon	B-Application
,	O
a	O
group	O
that	O
appears	O
to	O
be	O
trying	O
to	O
start	O
a	O
second	O
Omnic	O
Crisis	O
,	O
and	O
Null	O
Sector	O
,	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
Omnics	O
that	O
revolted	O
against	O
the	O
society	O
that	O
persecuted	O
Omnics	O
following	O
the	O
first	O
Crisis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
continued	O
to	O
maintain	O
peace	O
across	O
the	O
world	O
for	O
several	O
decades	O
in	O
what	O
came	O
to	O
be	O
called	O
the	O
"	O
Overwatch	B-Application
Generation	O
"	O
as	O
the	O
team	O
gained	O
more	O
members	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
rift	O
between	O
Morrison	O
and	O
Reyes	O
intensified	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
night	O
,	O
Blackwatch	O
was	O
dispatched	O
to	O
arrest	O
a	O
notorious	O
mobster	O
with	O
ties	O
to	O
Talon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
allegations	O
of	O
wrongdoing	O
and	O
failures	O
were	O
leveled	O
at	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
leading	O
to	O
a	O
public	O
outcry	O
against	O
the	O
organization	O
and	O
in-fighting	O
between	O
its	O
members	O
,	O
prompting	O
the	O
UN	O
to	O
investigate	O
the	O
situation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
this	O
,	O
an	O
explosion	O
destroyed	O
Overwatch	B-Application
's	O
headquarters	O
in	O
Switzerland	B-Protocol
,	O
purportedly	O
killing	O
Morrison	O
and	O
Reyes	O
among	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
UN	O
passed	O
the	O
Petras	O
Act	O
,	O
which	O
dismantled	O
Overwatch	B-Application
and	O
forbade	O
any	O
Overwatch-type	O
activity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
set	O
six	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
Petras	O
Act	O
;	O
without	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
corporations	O
have	O
started	O
to	O
take	O
over	O
,	O
fighting	O
and	O
terrorism	O
have	O
broken	O
out	O
in	O
parts	O
of	O
the	O
globe	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
are	O
signs	O
of	O
a	O
second	O
Omnic	O
Crisis	O
occurring	O
in	O
Russia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
intelligent	O
gorilla	O
Winston	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
member	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
decides	O
to	O
begin	O
reforming	O
Overwatch	B-Application
to	O
protect	O
the	O
peace	O
once	O
again	O
despite	O
the	O
Petras	O
Act	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
team	O
members	O
recruiting	O
old	O
friends	O
and	O
gaining	O
new	O
allies	O
in	O
their	O
fight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
revealed	O
that	O
Reyes	O
and	O
Morrison	O
were	O
not	O
killed	O
in	O
the	O
explosion	O
resulting	O
from	O
their	O
battle	O
:	O
Morrison	O
became	O
a	O
masked	O
vigilante	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
Soldier	O
:	O
76	O
"	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
trying	O
to	O
uncover	O
the	O
reasons	O
why	O
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
shut	O
down	O
,	O
while	O
Reyes	O
joined	O
Talon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
came	O
about	O
in	O
the	O
aftermath	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
decision	O
to	O
cancel	O
the	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
Titan	B-Protocol
in	O
2013	O
,	O
a	O
project	O
that	O
had	O
been	O
in	O
development	O
for	O
about	O
seven	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
some	O
brainstorming	O
,	O
they	O
came	O
onto	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
a	O
hero	O
team-based	O
shooter	O
,	O
building	O
upon	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
games	O
like	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
multiplayer	O
online	B-Application
battle	O
arenas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
started	O
with	O
assets	O
developed	O
for	O
Titan	B-Protocol
to	O
demonstrate	O
the	O
proof-of-concept	O
and	O
were	O
greenlit	O
to	O
build	O
out	O
the	O
full	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
new	O
intellectual	O
property	O
that	O
Blizzard	O
had	O
developed	O
since	O
StarCraft	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
intra-company	O
experience	O
of	O
Titan	B-Protocol
cancellation	O
served	O
to	O
help	O
drive	O
the	O
narrative	O
and	O
setting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
created	O
an	O
optimistic	O
vision	O
of	O
the	O
near-future	O
,	O
some	O
decades	O
following	O
the	O
Omnic	O
Crisis	O
and	O
the	O
formation	O
and	O
collapse	O
of	O
the	O
peacekeeping	O
Overwatch	B-Application
group	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Overwatch	B-Application
team	O
continues	O
to	O
support	O
the	O
game	O
through	O
free	O
updates	O
,	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
new	O
characters	O
,	O
maps	O
,	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
cosmetic	O
items	O
,	O
seasonal	O
events	O
,	O
and	O
external	O
media	O
to	O
support	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
narrative	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
continuously	O
tuning	O
how	O
the	O
individual	O
heroes	O
play	O
by	O
monitoring	O
meta-game	O
statistics	O
and	O
user	O
feedback	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
April	O
2020	O
however	O
,	O
no	O
heroes	O
have	O
been	O
released	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
is	O
focused	O
on	O
creating	O
Overwatch	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
development	O
had	O
been	O
led	O
by	O
Kaplan	O
through	O
April	O
2021	O
,	O
after	O
which	O
he	O
departed	O
Blizzard	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
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
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
before	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
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
on	O
May	O
24	O
,	O
2016	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>
In	O
honor	O
of	O
its	O
first	O
anniversary	O
in	O
2017	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
released	O
a	O
digital	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
edition	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
had	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
initially	O
had	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-mouse	O
controls	O
over	O
controller-based	O
ones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
in	O
June	O
2021	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
brought	O
cross-platform	B-Application
play	I-Application
to	O
Overwatch	B-Application
across	O
all	O
supported	O
platforms	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
beta	O
test	O
launched	O
at	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
month	O
before	O
full	O
release	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
June	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
deal	O
with	O
the	O
control	O
differences	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
competitive	O
mode	O
would	O
still	O
remain	O
segregated	O
between	O
console	O
players	O
and	O
computer	O
players	O
,	O
but	O
all	O
other	O
game	O
modes	O
would	O
allow	O
for	O
cross-play	O
on	O
any	O
combination	O
of	O
platforms	O
,	O
after	O
users	O
register	O
their	O
account	O
via	O
Battle.net	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
for	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
during	O
the	O
September	O
2019	O
Nintendo	O
Direct	O
,	O
the	O
Switch	O
had	O
the	O
Overwatch	B-Application
:	O
Legendary	O
Edition	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
on	O
October	O
15	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
November	O
29	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
version	O
has	O
a	O
game	O
case	O
for	O
retailers	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
but	O
does	O
not	O
include	O
a	O
physical	O
Game	B-Device
Card	I-Device
,	O
featuring	O
a	O
download	O
code	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Device
Xbox	I-Device
One	I-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
received	O
an	O
optimization	O
patch	O
in	O
March	O
2021	O
,	O
adding	O
new	O
performance	O
settings	O
when	O
played	O
using	O
backwards	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
on	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
run	O
at	O
up	O
to	O
120	O
frames	O
per	O
second	O
on	O
supported	O
monitors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
experienced	O
a	O
period	O
of	O
pre-launch	O
attention	O
not	O
typically	O
expected	O
;	O
Game	O
Revolution	O
noted	O
that	O
reputation	O
has	O
quickly	O
permeated	O
through	O
cyberspace	O
,	O
attracting	O
attention	O
from	O
people	O
who	O
may	O
not	O
traditionally	O
put	O
down	O
$40	O
to	O
$60	O
each	O
time	O
a	O
new	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
releases.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
received	O
"	O
universal	O
acclaim	O
"	O
upon	O
release	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
's	O
Vince	O
Ingenito	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
characters	O
and	O
maps	O
,	O
writing	O
"	O
Overwatch	B-Application
takes	O
just	O
about	O
every	O
possible	O
opportunity	O
to	O
make	O
its	O
cast	O
and	O
locales	O
seem	O
like	O
people	O
and	O
places	O
rather	O
than	O
puppets	O
and	O
scenery.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Ingenito	O
added	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
a	O
"	O
strong	O
online	B-Application
experience	O
that	O
gets	O
you	O
into	O
games	O
quickly	O
and	O
reliably.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Verge	O
Andrew	O
Webster	O
praised	O
Overwatch	B-Application
and	O
previous	O
titles	O
Titanfall	B-Application
and	O
Splatoon	B-Application
as	O
"	O
friendly	O
online	B-Application
shooters	O
"	O
that	O
have	O
room	O
for	O
both	O
new	O
and	O
casual	O
players	O
who	O
may	O
not	O
desire	O
to	O
master	O
the	O
game	O
but	O
can	O
still	O
compete	O
fairly	O
with	O
others	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
expert	O
players	O
that	O
can	O
utilize	O
the	O
various	O
heroes	O
to	O
adapt	O
to	O
the	O
dynamic	O
tactics	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Webster	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
cite	O
the	O
atmosphere	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
as	O
a	O
reason	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
approachability	O
,	O
writing	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
first	O
thing	O
that	O
makes	O
Overwatch	B-Application
world	O
appealing	O
and	O
approachable	O
is	O
,	O
well	O
,	O
its	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Caty	O
McCarthy	O
of	O
Kill	O
Screen	O
echoed	O
similar	O
thoughts	O
,	O
writing	O
"	O
When	O
playing	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
absorbed	O
by	O
its	O
radiating	O
positivity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
's	O
a	O
world	O
filled	O
with	O
lively	O
color	O
and	O
energetic	O
,	O
playful	O
competition	O
,	O
much	O
like	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
creative	O
kid-friendly	O
ink-shooter	O
Splatoon.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Referencing	O
its	O
similarities	O
to	O
Team	B-Application
Fortress	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Minotti	O
confirmed	O
that	O
"	O
[	O
Overwatch	B-Application
has ]	O
distinct	O
classes	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
-	O
and	O
objective-based	O
combat	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
bright	O
,	O
cartoon-like	O
art	O
style	O
,	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
Overwatch	B-Application
certainly	O
takes	O
plenty	O
of	O
inspiration	O
from	O
Valve	O
online	B-Application
shooter	O
series	O
,	O
"	O
but	O
opines	O
that	O
"	O
[	O
Overwatch	B-Application
is ]	O
just	O
better.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Tack	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
praise	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
characters	O
,	O
writing	O
"	O
Unforgettable	O
characters	O
are	O
the	O
lifeblood	O
and	O
driving	O
force	O
of	O
Overwatch.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2016	O
,	O
Vulture	O
Joshua	O
Rivera	O
listed	O
Overwatch	B-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
best	O
video	O
games	O
of	O
2016	O
(	O
so	O
far	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
writing	O
,	O
"	O
It	O
's	O
hard	O
to	O
separate	O
Overwatch	B-Application
the	O
game	O
from	O
Overwatch	B-Application
the	O
phenomenon	O
—	O
and	O
why	O
bother	O
,	O
both	O
are	O
fascinating.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
online	B-Application
magazine	O
Inverse	O
,	O
while	O
expressing	O
an	O
overall	O
positive	O
reception	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
pointed	O
out	O
the	O
balance	O
of	O
McCree	O
,	O
teams	O
composed	O
of	O
only	O
one	O
character	O
,	O
issues	O
with	O
matchmaking	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Play	O
of	O
the	O
Game	O
as	O
problems	O
that	O
should	O
be	O
fixed	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
development	O
team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
competitive	O
play	O
mode	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
Kotaku	O
Nathan	O
Grayson	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
Overwatch	B-Application
competitive	O
mode	O
[	O
is	O
not ]	O
all	O
that	O
bad	O
,	O
for	O
how	O
new	O
and	O
unpolished	O
it	O
is	O
,	O
"	O
but	O
opined	O
that	O
"	O
high-stakes	O
competition	O
and	O
toxicity	O
tend	O
to	O
go	O
hand-in-hand	O
,	O
and	O
Overwatch	B-Application
competitive	O
mode	O
already	O
has	O
an	O
ugly	O
toxic	O
stain.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Grayson	O
concluded	O
his	O
piece	O
with	O
"	O
Overwatch	B-Application
is	O
,	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
a	O
feel-good	O
team	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
Blizzard	O
wants	O
this	O
thing	O
to	O
work	O
,	O
they	O
're	O
gonna	O
have	O
to	O
figure	O
out	O
a	O
competitive	O
framework	O
that	O
's	O
true	O
to	O
Overwatch	B-Application
spirit	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
just	O
the	O
spirit	O
of	O
competition.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Kaplan	O
acknowledged	O
that	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
competitive	O
mode	O
that	O
the	O
whole	O
of	O
the	O
Overwatch	B-Application
community	O
has	O
become	O
more	O
toxic	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
are	O
continually	O
adapting	O
elements	O
behind	O
the	O
scenes	O
to	O
help	O
deal	O
with	O
aggressive	O
players	O
more	O
responsibly	O
,	O
while	O
trying	O
to	O
promote	O
more	O
enjoyable	O
matches	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
week	O
from	O
its	O
launch	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
reported	O
over	O
seven	O
million	O
Overwatch	B-Application
players	O
with	O
a	O
total	O
accumulated	O
playtime	O
of	O
119	O
million	O
hours	O
;	O
Blizzard	O
reported	O
more	O
than	O
10	O
million	O
players	O
by	O
mid-June	O
and	O
has	O
reported	O
continued	O
increases	O
in	O
the	O
player	O
base	O
,	O
with	O
60	O
million	O
players	O
as	O
of	O
April	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
NPD	O
Group	O
,	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
tracking	O
firm	O
,	O
reported	O
that	O
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
the	O
third	O
best-selling	O
retail	O
video	O
game	O
(	O
nb	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
discounting	O
digital	O
sales	O
through	O
Battle.net	B-Operating_System
)	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
in	O
May	O
2016	O
on	O
the	O
month	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
top-selling	O
game	O
in	O
June	O
2016	O
;	O
the	O
NPD	O
Group	O
later	O
reported	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
7th	O
highest	O
selling	O
game	O
by	O
revenue	O
(	O
excluding	O
Battle.net	B-Operating_System
sales	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
for	O
all	O
of	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
digital	O
sales	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
the	O
fastest-selling	O
game	O
during	O
its	O
release	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SuperData	O
Research	O
estimated	O
that	O
Overwatch	B-Application
brought	O
in	O
more	O
than	O
$269	O
million	O
in	O
revenues	O
from	O
digital	O
sales	O
worldwide	O
in	O
May	O
,	O
and	O
over	O
$565	O
million	O
in	O
sales	O
on	O
personal	O
computers	O
along	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2016	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
paid	O
game	O
for	O
personal	O
computers	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Activision-Blizzard	O
'	O
s	O
quarterly	O
earnings	O
report	O
for	O
Q1	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
reported	O
that	O
Overwatch	B-Application
revenues	O
had	O
exceeded	O
one	O
billion	O
dollars	O
,	O
the	O
eighth	O
such	O
property	O
owned	O
by	O
the	O
company	O
to	O
do	O
so	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2016	O
,	O
Gametrics	O
,	O
a	O
South	O
Korean	O
internet	O
cafe	O
survey	O
website	O
,	O
reported	O
that	O
Overwatch	B-Application
overtook	O
League	B-Application
of	I-Application
Legends	I-Application
as	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
game	O
played	O
across	O
4,000	O
of	O
South	O
Korea	O
's	O
PC	O
bangs	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
raised	O
over	O
$12.7	O
million	O
for	O
the	O
Breast	O
Cancer	O
Research	O
Foundation	O
,	O
which	O
they	O
generated	O
from	O
selling	O
a	O
special	O
pink-colored	O
Mercy	O
skin	O
where	O
all	O
proceeds	O
went	O
towards	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
July	O
2019	O
,	O
total	O
in-game	O
spending	O
in	O
Overwatch	B-Application
exceeded	O
one	O
billion	O
dollars	O
as	O
estimated	O
by	O
SuperData	O
,	O
the	O
sixth	O
Activision-Blizzard	O
product	O
line	O
to	O
reach	O
this	O
metric	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2015	O
,	O
Anita	O
Sarkeesian	O
commented	O
on	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
diversity	O
in	O
the	O
female	O
heroes	O
 '	O
body	O
types	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
first	O
twelve	O
revealed	O
characters	O
,	O
while	O
Nathan	O
Grayson	O
of	O
Kotaku	O
remarked	O
that	O
"	O
Overwatch	B-Application
women	O
are	O
mostly	O
super	O
slim	O
and	O
clad	O
in	O
cat	O
suits.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2016	O
,	O
the	O
President	O
of	O
the	O
Universal	O
Society	O
of	O
Hinduism	O
(	O
Rajan	O
Zed	B-Application
)	O
urged	O
Blizzard	O
to	O
remove	O
two	O
of	O
Symmetra	O
's	O
hero	O
cosmetic	O
items	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
since	O
they	O
could	O
be	O
seen	O
as	O
inappropriate	O
and	O
not	O
accurate	O
towards	O
the	O
beliefs	O
and	O
practices	O
of	O
Hinduism	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zed	B-Application
has	O
in	O
the	O
past	O
commented	O
on	O
other	O
video	O
game	O
depictions	O
of	O
Hindu-inspired	O
gods	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
in	O
the	O
multiplayer	O
online	B-Application
battle	O
arena	O
(	O
MOBA	O
)	O
game	O
Smite	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Overwatch	B-Application
Asia	O
servers	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
problems	O
with	O
numerous	O
players	O
using	O
cheats	O
tied	O
to	O
the	O
growing	O
number	O
of	O
younger	O
players	O
using	O
PC	O
bangs	O
in	O
South	O
Korea	O
that	O
allowed	O
them	O
to	O
play	O
Overwatch	B-Application
on	O
an	O
inexpensive	O
hourly	O
rate	O
rather	O
than	O
purchasing	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
these	O
players	O
do	O
not	O
need	O
permanent	O
accounts	O
,	O
they	O
can	O
use	O
disposable	O
Battle.net	B-Operating_System
accounts	O
and	O
employ	O
game	O
hacks	O
without	O
repercussions	O
,	O
and	O
if	O
that	O
account	O
is	O
banned	O
,	O
they	O
can	O
quickly	O
make	O
another	O
and	O
continue	O
playing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequently	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
announced	O
that	O
players	O
from	O
South	O
Korea	O
would	O
be	O
required	O
to	O
log	O
into	O
a	O
Battle.net	B-Operating_System
account	O
to	O
play	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
February	O
2017	O
onward	O
,	O
which	O
requires	O
a	O
difficult-to-spoof	O
resident	O
registration	O
number	O
among	O
other	O
unique	O
information	O
,	O
which	O
Blizzard	O
believes	O
would	O
help	O
to	O
alleviate	O
the	O
problem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
Belgian	O
Gaming	O
Commission	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
investigating	O
Overwatch	B-Application
alongside	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
Battlefront	I-Application
II	I-Application
to	O
determine	O
whether	O
loot	O
boxes	O
constituted	O
unlicensed	O
gambling	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
won	O
numerous	O
awards	O
in	O
2016	O
,	O
including	O
being	O
named	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
at	O
The	O
Game	O
Awards	O
2016	O
,	O
D.I.C.E.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
publications	O
,	O
including	O
IGN	O
,	O
GameSpot	O
,	O
Game	O
Revolution	O
,	O
EGMNow	O
,	O
GamesTM	O
,	O
The	O
Escapist	O
,	O
Game	O
Informer	O
and	O
Eurogamer	O
,	O
named	O
Overwatch	B-Application
the	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
2016	O
,	O
receiving	O
102	O
"	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
"	O
awards	O
across	O
critics	O
and	O
reader	O
polls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
years	O
since	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
has	O
continued	O
to	O
be	O
nominated	O
and	O
awarded	O
for	O
its	O
strength	O
as	O
an	O
esports	O
game	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
ongoing	O
content	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
fan	O
base	O
has	O
been	O
noted	O
to	O
be	O
generally	O
kind	O
and	O
supportive	O
;	O
Daniel	O
Starkey	O
of	O
Wired	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
where	O
many	O
fresh	O
games	O
struggle	O
with	O
an	O
endless	O
stream	O
of	O
player	O
complaints	O
and	O
developer-prodding	O
,	O
Overwatch	B-Application
community	O
is	O
vivacious	O
and	O
jubilant.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
gamer	O
with	O
cerebral	O
palsy	O
publicly	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
customizable	O
controls	O
,	O
which	O
let	O
him	O
make	O
his	O
first	O
snipe	B-Protocol
in	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
artists	O
,	O
Roman	O
Kenney	O
,	O
drew	O
concept	O
art	O
based	O
on	O
one	O
player	O
's	O
daughter	O
's	O
original	O
Overwatch	B-Application
character	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
has	O
encouraged	O
fans	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
to	O
make	O
artistic	O
content	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
Overwatch	B-Application
concepts	O
have	O
created	O
internet	O
memes	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
Gremlin	O
D.Va	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
focuses	O
on	O
the	O
character	O
D.Va	O
,	O
portrayed	O
through	O
Western	O
gamer	O
stereotypes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Summit	O
in	O
February	O
2017	O
,	O
Kaplan	O
said	O
that	O
much	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
narrative	O
is	O
now	O
being	O
borne	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
fans	O
,	O
adding	O
"	O
We	O
love	O
it	O
,	O
that	O
it	O
belongs	O
to	O
them	O
...	O
We	O
'	O
re	O
just	O
the	O
custodians	O
of	O
the	O
universe.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Kaplan	O
recognizes	O
that	O
he	O
himself	O
is	O
seen	O
as	O
an	O
Overwatch	B-Application
character	O
within	O
the	O
fan	O
community	O
,	O
and	O
following	O
similar	O
steps	O
that	O
Hearthstone	O
lead	O
designer	O
Ben	O
Brode	O
has	O
done	O
,	O
has	O
continued	O
to	O
engage	O
with	O
the	O
fan	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pornographic	O
fan	O
art	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
popular	O
,	O
with	O
Pornhub	O
searches	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
characters	O
partaking	O
in	O
sexual	O
activities	O
spiking	O
by	O
817%	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
open	O
beta	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
large	O
amount	O
of	O
such	O
pornographic	O
fan	O
works	O
are	O
created	O
with	O
Valve	O
's	O
Source	B-Language
Filmmaker	I-Language
tool	O
and	O
make	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
assets	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
ripped	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
during	O
its	O
closed	O
beta	O
and	O
consequently	O
spread	O
over	O
the	O
internet	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>
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
since-cancelled	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
,	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>
Blizzard	O
published	O
three	O
digital	O
comic	O
series	O
during	O
Overwatch	B-Application
2016	O
–	O
2022	O
run	O
:	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
Tracer	O
-	O
London	O
Calling	O
,	O
and	O
New	O
Blood	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
Overwatch	B-Application
literature	O
including	O
an	O
art	O
book	O
,	O
cook	O
book	O
,	O
short	O
stories	O
,	O
and	O
novelizations	O
were	O
also	O
published	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>
Various	O
toy	O
and	O
figurine	O
manufacturers	O
produced	O
merchandise	O
lines	O
featuring	O
Overwatch	B-Application
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
not	O
developed	O
with	O
any	O
dedication	O
towards	O
esports	O
,	O
focusing	O
on	O
"	O
building	O
a	O
great	O
competitive	O
game	O
"	O
first	O
and	O
foremost	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Morhaime	O
,	O
though	O
they	O
recognized	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
potential	O
as	O
an	O
esports	O
game	O
through	O
internal	O
testing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
included	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
competitive	O
mode	O
some	O
months	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
launch	O
after	O
seeing	O
how	O
players	O
took	O
towards	O
Overwatch	B-Application
;	O
Blizzard	O
saw	O
the	O
ladder-approach	O
they	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
means	O
for	O
skilled	O
players	O
to	O
reach	O
high	O
ranks	O
as	O
to	O
be	O
noticed	O
by	O
esport	O
team	O
organizers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dan	O
Szymborski	O
writing	O
for	O
ESPN	O
stated	O
that	O
Overwatch	B-Application
was	O
poised	O
as	O
the	O
next	O
big	O
esport	O
for	O
having	O
a	O
sufficiently	O
different	O
look	O
and	O
playstyle	O
from	O
established	O
esports	O
games	O
like	O
Counter-Strike	B-Application
:	I-Application
Global	I-Application
Offensive	I-Application
and	O
Call	O
of	O
Duty	O
,	O
enough	O
variety	O
in	O
maps	O
and	O
characters	O
,	O
and	O
strong	O
support	O
from	O
Blizzard	O
to	O
maintain	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
a	O
long	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bryant	O
Francis	O
writing	O
for	O
Gamasutra	O
noted	O
the	O
speed	O
and	O
short	O
match	O
times	O
of	O
Overwatch	B-Application
make	O
the	O
game	O
highly	O
favorable	O
for	O
viewership	O
,	O
further	O
supporting	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
an	O
esports	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Longtime	O
esports	O
host	O
Paul	O
Chaloner	O
stated	O
that	O
"[Overwatch]	O
needs	O
a	O
much	O
better	O
spectator	O
system	O
,	O
"	O
going	O
on	O
to	O
elaborate	O
,	O
"	O
Right	O
now	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
incredibly	O
difficult	O
for	O
commentators	O
and	O
viewers	O
to	O
see	O
the	O
skills	O
of	O
the	O
players	O
:	O
who	O
used	O
their	O
ultimates	O
and	O
how	O
did	O
they	O
interact	O
?	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
organized	O
,	O
prize-winning	O
competitions	O
for	O
Overwatch	B-Application
started	O
in	O
mid-2016	O
,	O
a	O
few	O
months	O
after	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2016	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
hosted	O
their	O
own	O
Overwatch	B-Application
World	O
Cup	O
,	O
allowing	O
users	O
to	O
vote	O
for	O
teams	O
to	O
represent	O
their	O
nation	O
or	O
region	O
,	O
with	O
finals	O
taking	O
place	O
during	O
their	O
BlizzCon	O
event	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
grew	O
increasingly	O
in	O
South	O
Korea	O
since	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
topped	O
gaming	O
cafes	O
in	O
Korea	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
player	O
count	O
,	O
surpassing	O
that	O
of	O
League	B-Application
of	I-Application
Legends	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
2016	O
BlizzCon	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
announced	O
their	O
plans	O
for	O
their	O
Overwatch	B-Application
League	O
,	O
using	O
an	O
organization	O
of	O
permanent	O
teams	O
in	O
league	O
placements	O
similar	O
to	O
more	O
traditional	O
North	O
American	O
professional	O
sports	O
leagues	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
promotion	O
and	O
relegation	O
used	O
in	O
a	O
series	O
like	O
League	B-Application
of	I-Application
Legends	I-Application
Championship	O
Series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overwatch	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
a	O
standalone	O
sequel	O
,	O
was	O
announced	O
at	O
BlizzCon	O
on	O
November	O
1	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
4	O
,	O
2022	O
as	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
player-versus-player	O
(	O
PvP	O
)	O
game	O
for	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	O
5	O
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X	I-Device
and	I-Device
S	I-Device
,	O
with	O
player-versus-environment	O
content	O
releasing	O
in	O
2023	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
planned	O
for	O
Overwatch	B-Application
and	O
Overwatch	B-Application
2	I-Application
to	O
have	O
a	O
"	O
shared	O
multiplayer	O
environment	O
"	O
between	O
it	O
and	O
the	O
original	O
Overwatch	B-Application
,	O
so	O
that	O
the	O
players	O
in	O
either	O
game	O
could	O
compete	O
together	O
in	O
the	O
existing	O
player	O
versus	O
player	O
(	O
PvP	O
)	O
modes	O
,	O
retaining	O
all	O
unlocked	O
cosmetics	O
and	O
other	O
features	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
the	O
transition	O
to	O
free-to-play	O
,	O
Overwatchs	O
servers	O
were	O
shut	O
down	O
on	O
October	O
3	O
,	O
2022	O
,	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
the	O
sequel	O
,	O
and	O
all	O
players	O
were	O
transitioned	O
to	O
Overwatch	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
transition	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
ended	O
purchases	O
of	O
loot	O
boxes	O
on	O
August	O
30	O
,	O
2022	O
(	O
though	O
players	O
were	O
still	O
able	O
to	O
earn	O
these	O
as	O
drops	O
in-game	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
any	O
unopened	O
loot	O
boxes	O
in	O
a	O
player	O
's	O
inventory	O
on	O
Overwatch	B-Application
2	I-Application
release	O
were	O
automatically	O
opened	O
and	O
contents	O
credited	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
