Blizzard Reports Record Player Count for Overwatch as Season 1 Launches

Blizzard has announced that Overwatch has achieved its highest player count in over a year across all platforms, coinciding with the official launch of Season 1. The game has seen a resurgence in players after last week's significant Spotlight reveal event, which unveiled that the sequel would be dropping the '2' from its title. This event also introduced numerous new heroes and set the stage for a cohesive narrative that will unfold over the coming year. The early access introduction of new hero Anran also contributed to the influx of players, as Blizzard promptly responded to fan feedback and design requests from the character's English voice actress. Recent reports highlighted that Overwatch had a notably successful weekend on Steam, achieving its highest player count since the game's debut. Additionally, Blizzard confirmed plans for a Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, expected to release during Season 2. Here’s a rundown of what Season 1 brings: **Overwatch Season 1 Launch - February 10** - **Five New Heroes Available Now:** Players can explore five new heroes immediately, with a total of five more set to be introduced by the end of 2026, with one debuting each season. - **Domina (Tank):** A long-range zone-control hero and the vice president of the Vishkar Corporation. - **Emre (Damage):** A fast-paced Damage hero featuring cybernetic enhancements. - **Mizuki (Support):** A versatile Support hero associated with the Hashimoto clan. - **Anran (Damage):** A fire-based Flanker Damage hero, who is also Wuyang’s older sister. - **Jetpack Cat (Support):** A flying feline hero providing tactical support with swift reflexes and the ability to tow allies. - **The Reign of Talon:** For the first time, Overwatch will present a continuous narrative over a year that chronicles Talon's ascent under new leadership. This story will unfold through a series of cinematics, motion comics, animated hero trailers, and short stories. - **Conquest Meta Event:** A five-week event where players choose to side with either Overwatch or Talon, completing missions to earn rewards. - **Gameplay Updates:** Season 1 introduces new sub-roles and passives for every hero, a reset of the competitive year with new rewards, Stadium updates, a refreshed user interface, and new systems like Praise. - **Overwatch x Hello Kitty and Friends Collaboration:** This event features vibrant Hello Kitty-themed skins and additional content, available until February 24. Skins include: - Juno as Hello Kitty - Widowmaker as Kuromi - Mercy as Pompompurrin - Lucio as Keroppi - D.Va as My Melody - Kiriko as Cinnamoroll - **New Skins and Cosmetics:** Season 1 presents faction-themed skins, themed bundles, a Mercy Celestial Guardian Mythic skin, Juno’s Star Shooter Mythic weapon, and a refreshed loot box pool featuring skins from the last six seasons. As Season 2 approaches, players can look forward to the introduction of a new hero, additional mythics, and celebrations for the game's 10th anniversary this spring. Season 3 will introduce another hero and the Japan Night map, while Season 4 will add yet another new hero and activities related to BlizzCon and the Overwatch World Cup.