Despite what many predicted, Overwatch — Blizzard's upcoming multiplayer first-person shooter — will not be free to play.
Rather, there will be three different versions of the game, two of which are offered on consoles. Yes, the Xbox One and PS4 versions were confirmed today.
First up, we have the basic Overwatch game for PC only. This costs $39.99 and comes with all 21 heroes and launch-day maps.
Then we have the Overwatch Origins Edition, a special edition version of the game that includes the base game, unique Origins Edition skins for five different characters, and an assortment of other digital goodies for Blizzard's other games. This will be available for $59.99 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
[Overwatch] Origins Skins: Pay homage to the original Overwatch strike force with vintage skins of Blackwatch Reyes for Reaper and Strike-Commander Morrison for Soldier: 76. Explore other heroes’ origins with Overgrown Bastion, Security Chief Pharah, and Slipstream Tracer.
[Diablo III] Mercy's Wings: Slay demonic forces throughout the High Heavens and Burning Hells while donning Mercy’s wings, and all of Sanctuary will know of your allegiance to Overwatch!
[StarCraft II] Player Portraits: Brand-new portraits of Tracer, Reaper, Pharah, Winston, Bastion, and Soldier: 76 give new meaning to the phrase "Hero of the Koprulu Sector."
[Hearthstone] Overwatch Card Back: If you happen to find yourself in a Tavern Brawl, show your opponent you’ve got backup with an Overwatch-themed card back.
[World of Warcraft] Baby Winston Pet: Adorably cuddly and highly intellectual, the Baby Winston pet will be at your side as you fight to extinguish the Burning Legion.
[Heroes of the Storm] Tracer Hero: The calvary's here! Jump into the Nexus with Tracer and surprise your enemies in the blink of an eye.
And lastly, there's the retail-only Collector's Edition for all three platforms. Priced at $129.99, this limited edition contains all of the content from the Origins Edition along with a full-color art book, the Overwatch soundtrack, and a high-quality collectible statue of Soldier: 76—the vigilante alter ego of former Overwatch commander Jack Morrison.
I'm going to go ahead and assume there will be some sort of season pass or regularly released add-on characters to expand the roster, although nothing was announced. And because this is Activision Blizzard, I'm also going to assume microtransactions for character skins will be offered at some point in the future.
Overwatch didn't get a release date, but Blizzard did announce a release window of Spring 2016. It's currently available for pre-purchase, and doing so will net you the special Noire skin for Windowmaker, Overwatch's ice-cold assassin, at launch.
