Activision Blizzard’s first shooter game has come a long way in its first year of existence, from Game of the Year to making esports dreams come true. Overwatch has taken the world by storm with a player base of over 30 million—appealing not just to a core group of shooter game fans, but attracting new demographics, as well.
Overwatch League has proven popular across the globe not just for playing, but viewing, as well. In terms of global reach, Overwatch comes in third place in North America and Western Europe, according to Newzoo. While the game boasts a large player base on both console and PC, a “sizable” group of people watch Overwatch esports exclusively.
IEM Gyeonggi’s Overwatch tournament finals attracted close to 100,000 peak concurrent viewers on Twitch and the official Overwatch League announcement has over 19 million views on YouTube. The city-based franchise approach presented by Activision/Blizzard seems to have materialized, Newzoo observed, as it’s rumored that the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins are among the first traditional sports teams to claim a spot in the Overwatch League.
“Overwatch succeeded where Heroes of the Storm failed—in offering a broad variety in gameplay and a new, original aesthetic,” SuperData CEO Joost van Dreunen told AListDaily. “By starting the franchise from scratch and building characters and environments from the ground up rather than relying on their tried-and-true formulas, Blizzard managed to release a title that is an antidote to the dominance of military shooter games. Without sacrificing any frivolity, Overwatch explores a broad range of social and cultural topics that have clearly resonated with audiences, making it a favorite among streamers and players.”
SuperData predicts that the worldwide audience for overall game video content (GVC) will reach 665 million in 2017, more than double the population of the US. Overwatch is certainly holding its own in this arena, averaging 23,515 Twitch viewers per hour in 2016 according to calculations by GitHyp.
The colorful shooter has also changed views on consumer habits in China, the world’s largest gaming market. It has often been thought that Chinese gamers, who typically pay for MMOs by the hour, would not be willing to pay for a video game upfront. That outlook has changed, thanks to Overwatch. Up to 40 percent of full game downloads of Overwatch in August 2016 can be attributed to Chinese sales, SuperData reported.
Activision Blizzard has much to celebrate and is passing on the rewards to its fans. Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition, a digital re-release that includes cosmetic items for Overwatch and other Blizzard games, is available now on PlayStation 4, Windows PC via Battle.net and Xbox One.
Players on PS4, Windows PC and Xbox One will also be able to try out Overwatch with a free weekend. The game will be free to download and play May 26-29.
