Overwatch release date and pre-order bonuses confirmed

---

The launch date for Blizzard's first person MOBA-like ‘hero shooter’ looks to have been revealed to be 24 May, thanks to the early posting of an advert.

---

by Chris Brand

@pass_controller

---

---

The ad campaign went live prematurely on gaming website IGN, revealing not only the full game’s release date, but also the date of an upcoming open beta.

It’s now been confirmed that the release date was correct and that the open beta runs from 5 - 9 May, but those who pre-order will get two days early access for them and a friend, as was alluded to in the leaked advertising.

The Origins Edition of the game will set you back £44.99 and comes with a bunch of skins for the heroes, as well as a few bonuses for other Blizzard titles like World Of Warcraft, Diablo 3 and Hearthstone.

Overwatch is set in a not-too-distant future, some years after a robot uprising and massive global conflict. The Overwatch was a task force put together by the United Nations to protect humanity after the crisis, however an accident killed the leaders of the task force and it has since been disbanded.

Overwatch is gone but the world still needs heroes, which is where you come in. The heroes each have unique abilities and belong to one of four classes; offense, defense, tank or support. Unlike similar games, you aren't locked into a certain hero when the match starts, instead free to change with each death à la Team Fortress 2.

In the various game modes you'll play as part of a six-man team, either attacking or defending. The attackers have an objective - such as capturing control points or delivering a payload - whilst the defenders need to hold them off until time runs out.

Check out the gameplay trailer below for an idea of what to expect come May, and to meet a few of the eccentric heroes.

Are you picking up Overwatch? Let us know in the forums.

COMMENT ON THE FORUMS