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.

In the latest Overwatch developer update, game director Jeff Kaplan stated that Blizzard's team-based shooter has now surpassed 40 million players.

Blizzard and the Overwatch team are excited to celebrate our 2-Year Anniversary! From May 22nd through June 11th, players can login to Overwatch on PC, PlayStation and Xbox One to experience the event.

The anniversary will bring in a host of new content, including more than 50 new cosmetic items and the new Deathmatch map, Petra! Additionally, the event will bring back all seasonal cosmetic items, as well as most of the past seasonal brawls. Please see below for additional details:

NEW ITEMS

• The Anniversary event will include more than 50 new items, including 8 new Legendary skins and 3 epic skins
• New dance emotes have been added for Doomfist, Moira, and Brigitte

YOUR FAVORITES ARE BACK

• The Anniversary event will bring back previous seasonal cosmetic items including your favorite dance emotes from last year’s event
• Past seasonal brawls are returning to the Arcade and will be rotated daily, including those found in Overwatch: Archives

NEW MAP

• The Anniversary event will introduce the brand-new Deathmatch map, Petra.
• In addition to Petra, Deathmatch will include a new “Competitive Mode,” which will include placement matches, skill rating tiers, and leaderboards

LOOT BOXES

• Players who login for the Anniversary event will receive one bonus Legendary Anniversary Loot Box, which will guarantee one Legendary item
• Players who purchase the 50 Loot Box Bundle will receive one bonus Legendary Anniversary Loot Box
• All previous Seasonal Event loot will be included in loot boxes during the duration of the event

FREE WEEKEND

• Overwatch and the Anniversary event will be playable during our Free Weekend event, which will run from May 25th through May 28th
• For those playing Overwatch on PlayStation, a PlayStation Plus account WILL NOT be required to play during Free Weekend

LEGENDARY EDITION

• A new version of Overwatch, Legendary Edition, will be released digitally on May 22nd
• Legendary Edition will include sets of Legendary, Epic and Origin skins for a total of 15 skins with purchase