ωThe action of Overwatch. takes place in a technologically advanced, highly stylized future earth. In a time of global crisis, an international task force of soldiers, scientists, adventurers, and oddities known as Overwatch had come together to restore peace to a war-torn world. After many years, the group’s influence waned, and it was eventually disbanded. Overwatch might be gone now . . . but the world still needs heroes.
With an emphasis on accessibility and pure fun, Overwatch. brings Blizzard’s signature easy-to-learn, hard-to-master gameplay to the FPS genre. Harnessing the power of their hero of choice, players will join forces in teams of six and battle each other across a range of futuristic global locations, from the hologram-lit streets of London to a bazaar in the shadows of a high-tech Egyptian pyramid. Every battlefield is iconic and built to highlight each character’s unique abilities, and fights can shift from streets to rooftops to open skies within the span of a breath.
While each hero represents a formidable force on their own, players can amplify their potential by assembling into a well-balanced team and creatively combining powers. No matter which hero or playstyle they prefer, players will be able to team up and accomplish the incredible in Overwatch.
As players compete in matches—win or lose—they’ll level up and earn Loot Boxes, each containing a combination of four items players can use to customize their heroes, including in-game credits and cosmetic goodies including skins, sprays, voice lines, and new animations. Among these items are legendary skins that dramatically alter heroes’ appearances, such as the post-apocalyptic Scavenger D.Va, or Lone Wolf Hanzo, which fills Overwatch’s expert bowman with the spirit of the wild.
Dark Horse Comics and Blizzard Entertainment have joined forces on a publishing program centered around Overwatch, consisting of a slate of products based on the team shooter, including digital comics, a graphic novel, and an art book.
Dark Horse has already begun republishing a series of free digital comics by Blizzard Entertainment that further illuminate the characters and world of Overwatch. A number of eight-page digital comics are already available through Dark Horse’s digital comics platforms, with more currently in production and slated for release in the future.
A hardcover original Overwatch graphic novel has been slotted for release in April 2017. This brand-new entry in the Overwatch canon will contain one hundred pages of sequential artwork telling the story of the original Overwatch strike team.
Summer 2017 will see the release of The Art of Overwatch, a stunning collection of never-before-seen concept art from the critically acclaimed game. Stay tuned for more details regarding The Art of Overwatch.
Also announced this week, Dark Horse and Blizzard have set the date for the second volume of their best-selling World of Warcraft series. Earlier this year, Dark Horse Books and Blizzard Entertainment released World of Warcraft Chronicle: Volume I, which has over eighty thousand copies in print and charted on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
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