History of Overwatch in Timeline

Overwatch is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game franchise developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The original game, Overwatch, was released in 2016. A sequel, Overwatch 2, was released in 2022, replacing the original game. Gameplay revolves around hero-based combat where two teams battle over objectives in various game modes.

1996: Diablo Series Launch

In 1996, Blizzard launched Diablo, marking their first new series before Overwatch

2013: Titan Project Cancelled

In 2013, the Blizzard project known as Titan, which was the origin of Overwatch, was cancelled.

November 7, 2014: Cinematic Trailer Release

On November 7, 2014, Blizzard released an animated cinematic trailer for the original Overwatch game as part of its announcement.

2014: Overwatch Announcement and Fandom Beginnings

In 2014, the announcement trailer for Overwatch was released, sparking a fervent fandom due to the game's bright designs, strong characterization, and optimistic setting.

2015: Overwatch Beta Launched

In 2015, a beta version of Overwatch was launched, after its announcement at BlizzCon in November 2014.

March 21, 2016: Recall Animated Short Released

On March 21, 2016, Blizzard released 'Recall', the first animated short film for Overwatch. It centered around Reaper's attack on Winston and Winston's recall of former Overwatch agents.

May 24, 2016: Original Overwatch Release

On May 24, 2016, the original Overwatch game was released for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One platforms by Blizzard.

July 2016: Overwatch Open Tournament Announced

In July 2016, Turner Broadcasting's ELeague announced the first Overwatch Open tournament, with a $300,000 prize pool and plans to broadcast the finals in September on TBS.

August 2016: Overwatch World Cup Announced

In August 2016, Blizzard announced the official Overwatch World Cup (OWWC) tournament, to be played at BlizzCon in November that year.

August 2016: Overwatch Atlantic Showdown

In August 2016, ESL held the first international Overwatch competition, the Overwatch Atlantic Showdown at Gamescom 2016 from August 20 to 21, featuring eight teams competing for a six-figure prize.

September 2016: Overwatch Open Finals Broadcast

In September 2016, the finals of the Overwatch Open tournament, which was announced in July, were planned to be broadcast on Turner's cable channel TBS.

2016: Overwatch Comic Series Published

From 2016, Blizzard published Overwatch, a 16-issue comic series, starting with "Trainhopper", with some issues tying into in-game events.

2016: Overwatch: First Strike Graphic Novel Cancelled

In 2016, Blizzard cancelled the graphic novel Overwatch: First Strike, which was to be written by Micky Neilson and illustrated by Ludo Lullabi. According to Chu on the official Overwatch forums, the cancellation was due to significant changes in the narrative and characters of Overwatch since the novel was first conceived.

2016: Overwatch Released, Lore Expansion

In 2016, Overwatch was released. Blizzard used transmedia storytelling such as comics and animated short films to explain the lore of the game's characters. The game had commercial success, gaining a devoted fanbase which led to user-generated content.

2016: Overwatch Release

In 2016, Overwatch, a multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment, was released. It features hero-based combat between two teams fighting over objectives and traditional gameplay modes.

2016: Initial Game Release and Score Albums

Since the franchise's beginning in 2016, the games have received six score album releases.

September 2017: Overwatch League Secures Franchises

By September 2017, the Overwatch League (OWL) had secured billionaire sports team owners and established 12 franchises around the world.

October 24, 2017: The Art of Overwatch Book Released

On October 24, 2017, Dark Horse released The Art of Overwatch, a 100-page book showcasing concept art and illustrations from Overwatch's development team, accompanied by their commentary.

December 2017: Overwatch League Preseason Games

In December 2017, preseason games for the inaugural Overwatch League season took place.

2017: Hardcover Anthology Published

In 2017, Blizzard partnered with Dark Horse Comics to publish a hardcover anthology, collecting 12 issues of the Overwatch comic series.

January 2018: First Overwatch League Regular Season Game

In January 2018, the first Overwatch League regular season game was played between the Los Angeles Valiant and San Francisco Shock at Blizzard Arena.

January 2018: End of APEX Tournament

The "APEX" esports tournament in South Korea, which was created due to Overwatch's popularity, operated until January 2018.

November 2018: Overwatch Companion Application Released

In November 2018, Blizzard released a companion Overwatch application to support viewership of its professional competitions, allowing viewers to watch matches through a spectator mode.

2018: Inconsistent Updates to Overwatch lore from 2018 to 2022

From 2018 to 2022, Blizzard's inconsistent updates to Overwatch's lore, were a factor behind the game's declined in popularity.

2018: End of the Comic Series

In 2018, Blizzard ended the Overwatch comic series, a 16-issue series that started in 2016.

2018: Alyssa Wong joins Overwatch Writing Team

In 2018, Blizzard hired Alyssa Wong to join the writing team for Overwatch.

2018: Overwatch Ranked Highly in Game Informer Poll

In 2018, Overwatch ranked 29th in a Game Informer poll regarding the best video games of all-time. Critics praised Overwatch for its inclusive multiplayer, vibrant world and characters, and playful, team-based gameplay. However, toxicity grew, especially in competitive mode, leading to developer efforts to address it.

2018: Nine Overwatch Animated Shorts Released

Nine animated short films for Overwatch were released by Blizzard through 2018.

October 15, 2019: Overwatch Released on Nintendo Switch

On October 15, 2019, a version of Overwatch developed by Iron Galaxy was released for the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Switch™ with Neon Blue and Neon Red Joy‑Con™

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2019: Overwatch 2 Announced

At BlizzCon 2019, Overwatch 2 was announced as a sequel, promising a new PvE story mode based around the new Omnic Crisis, as well as PvE game modes focused on leveling characters to unlock new ability traits.

2019: Zero Hour Cinematic Trailer Release

In 2019, Blizzard announced Overwatch 2, releasing the Zero Hour cinematic trailer.

2019: Release of Overwatch Short Stories and Cookbook

In 2019, Blizzard released three short stories: Bastet (centered on Soldier: 76), What You Left Behind (Baptiste), and Valkyrie (Mercy). They also released Stone by Stone (Symmetra) and Code of Violence (Reaper). In 2019, Blizzard released an official Overwatch cookbook.

June 2, 2020: Publication of The Hero of Numbani

On June 2, 2020, The Hero of Numbani, a young-adult novel by Nicky Drayden, was published. The story functions as a novelization of Orisa's origin story, following Efi Ofadele's creation of Orisa to protect Numbani.

2020: Tracer - London Calling Limited Series Published

From 2020, Blizzard and Dark Horse published Tracer - London Calling, a five-issue limited series written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Babs Tarr.

2020: Animated Series Development and Lawsuit

In early 2020, Netflix optioned the Overwatch property from Blizzard for an animated series. However, the project fell through later that year after Blizzard sued Netflix over the "poaching" of Blizzard's CFO Spencer Neumann.

April 2021: Jeff Kaplan Departs Blizzard

In April 2021, Jeff Kaplan, lead director for Overwatch, left Blizzard. Aaron Keller then took over Kaplan's lead director duties.

May 2021: Overwatch Themed Skins for Heroes of the Storm

In May 2021, Overwatch-themed skins were introduced for Heroes of the Storm's "Overwatch cosplay" event.

June 1, 2021: Release of Deadlock Rebels

On June 1, 2021, Lyndsay Ely's young-adult novel Deadlock Rebels was released, centering on Cassidy and Ashe during their teenage years.

September 28, 2021: Tracer - London Calling Graphic Novel Released

On September 28, 2021, a graphic novel collecting the five issues of Tracer - London Calling was physically released, featuring cover art by Bengal.

November 2021: New Blood Limited Series Release

In November 2021, the New Blood five-issue limited series, similar in style to London Calling, was released. The series follows Cassidy post-Zero Hour as he recruits members to the revived Overwatch team. It served as a tie-in for in-game seasonal events.

December 2021: Expanded Edition of Overwatch Anthology Released

In December 2021, an expanded edition of the Overwatch comic anthology was released.

2021: Over 60 Million Overwatch Players

In 2021, Blizzard reported a lifetime total of over 60 million Overwatch players, showing significant commercial success for the game.

March 2022: New Blood Limited Series Concludes

In March 2022, the New Blood five-issue limited series concluded, which followed Cassidy post-Zero Hour on his journey to recruit members to the newly revived Overwatch. It was similar to London Calling in style and served as a tie-in for in-game seasonal events.

July 2022: Heroes of the Storm Transitioned to Maintenance Mode

By the time Heroes of the Storm transitioned to a maintenance mode in July 2022, the game featured nine playable characters from Overwatch, with battlegrounds based on the Overwatch maps Hanamura and Volskaya Industries.

October 3, 2022: Overwatch Servers Shut Down

On October 3, 2022, Blizzard shut down the servers for the original Overwatch game.

October 4, 2022: Overwatch 2 Early Access Release

On October 4, 2022, Blizzard released Overwatch 2 via early access. The game became free-to-play on PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X, with cross-platform play support.

Nintendo Switch Version 2 - Grey - International Version

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2022: The Wastelander Animated Short Released

In 2022, Blizzard released The Wastelander, an Overwatch animated short film and the first since the release of Reunion.

2022: Report of Overwatch Sales Exceeding 50 Million Copies

In 2022, Bloomberg published a report stating that Overwatch eventually sold over 50 million copies.

2022: Criticism of Overwatch Lore and Impact on Player Patterns in 2022

In 2022, Polygon and PC Gamer criticized Overwatch's stagnant lore. Cass Marshall noted that fans' versions of the cast felt more concrete than canon. Natalie Clayton observed a lack of character growth and static world state. Additionally, after Soldier: 76 was revealed to be gay in a comic, his pick rate dropped, though it recovered after three months.

2022: Overwatch 2 Launch and Player Criticism in 2022

In late 2022, Overwatch 2 was released, automatically updating the original Overwatch into a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original unplayable. This move sparked considerable criticism regarding the game's free-to-play model, battle pass, hero availability and cosmetic changes.

August 10, 2023: Overwatch 2 Release on Steam Receives Negative Reviews

On August 10, 2023, Overwatch 2 was released on Steam and received "overwhelmingly negative" reviews. Criticisms focused on monetization, the battle pass, hero availability, and cosmetic changes since the original Overwatch launch.

2023: Overwatch 2 Release

After multiple COVID-19 related delays, Overwatch 2 was released in August 2023. After release, the game was unable to deliver on its promise of a PvE story mode. The release was seen as controversial, with many feeling like a sequel was unnecessary.

2023: Collapse of Overwatch League

By 2023, the Overwatch League collapsed due to various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of owner interest.

2023: Release of Ramattra: Reflections and As You Are

In 2023, Blizzard released Ramattra: Reflections and As You Are. The latter was released leading into the game's 2023 Pride event and established Pharah and Baptiste as LGBTQ+ characters.

2024: Overwatch Champions Series Replaces OWL

In 2024, the Overwatch League (OWL) was replaced by the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS), a partnership between Activision-Blizzard, ESL, and WDG Esports that is structured to resemble traditional esports circuits.

December 2025: 44 Playable Heroes in Overwatch 2

As of December 2025, Overwatch 2 includes 44 playable heroes.

2025: Hero Perk Update

In 2025, an Overwatch update introduced four unique abilities called perks for each hero. Players can level up heroes during a match to unlock minor perks at level 2 and major perks at level 3.

February 2026: Overwatch 2 Rebranded as Overwatch

In February 2026, Blizzard rebranded Overwatch 2 as Overwatch, part of a story and seasonal update approach.

February 2026: Overwatch Rush Mobile Game Unveiled

In February 2026, Overwatch Rush, a mobile version of Overwatch, was unveiled. The game is being developed by an internal team separate from Team 4 at Blizzard and will be presented in a top-down mode.