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History of Overwatch Timeline
(November 2014 - Present)Overwatch is a team-based first-person shooter developed by Blizzard Entertainment, first announced at BlizzCon in November 2014 and released in May 2016. Building on the ashes of Blizzard's cancelled MMO Project Titan, Overwatch became a cultural phenomenon with its diverse cast of heroes, esports league (Overwatch League), and critical acclaim, before evolving into the free-to-play sequel Overwatch 2 in October 2022. More Less
Game Updates
Blizzard announces the Kanezaka Deathmatch map
Dec 2020
In December 2020, Blizzard announced that Kanezaka, a fictional Japanese city, would be added to the original Overwatch game as a Deathmatch map, expanding the game's roster of playable environments.
Image source: Overwatch
Kanezaka designed based on Tokyo
Dec 2020
The fictional city of Kanezaka was designed based on Tokyo, giving the map a distinctly Japanese urban aesthetic inspired by the real-world capital.
Kanezaka expands original Overwatch's map pool
Jan 2021
The addition of the Kanezaka deathmatch map in a 2021 update expanded the original Overwatch's map offerings, giving players a new Tokyo-inspired Japanese environment to play in.
Kanezaka map debuts in Overwatch update
Jan 2021
Designed based on Tokyo, the fictional Japanese city of Kanezaka was first featured in a deathmatch map introduced in a 2021 update for Overwatch, following its December 2020 announcement.
Kiriko included in Overwatch Rush mobile game
2026
In 2026, Kiriko was one of several characters included in Overwatch Rush, a mobile game developed by Blizzard, extending the franchise onto mobile platforms.
Image source: Kiriko (Overwatch)
Kiriko Character
Fox sounds of SaveAFox founder used in Kiriko's design
2022
The sounds of SaveAFox Rescue founder Mikayla Raines' foxes were used when designing Kiriko, lending authentic fox vocalizations to the character's fox spirit companion.
Image source: SaveAFox Rescue
Kiriko's menu theme uses the song "BOW" by MFS
Sep 20, 2022
Kiriko's appearances on the Overwatch 2 menu screen are accompanied by the song "BOW" by Japanese rapper MFS, adding a distinctive musical identity to the character.
Blizzard releases Kiriko origin story trailer
Sep 20, 2022
On September 20, 2022, Blizzard released a trailer for Overwatch 2 featuring a short animated origin story centered on Kiriko's upbringing, introducing players to the new hero ahead of launch.
Kiriko makes her first appearance in Overwatch 2
Oct 4, 2022
Kiriko made her first appearance in Overwatch 2, a first-person hero shooter developed by Blizzard Entertainment, debuting alongside the game's early access launch.
"BOW" featured in Kiriko's 2022 animated short
Oct 7, 2022
Kiriko's appearance in her 2022 animated short is accompanied by the song "BOW" by Japanese rapper MFS, tying the track closely to the character's debut media.
Key Facts
- Overwatch was first announced at BlizzCon in November 2014 and grew out of the remains of Blizzard's cancelled MMORPG project codenamed 'Titan'.
- The original Overwatch launched on May 24, 2016 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, quickly surpassing 25 million players within its first five months.
- Overwatch won numerous Game of the Year awards in 2016 and popularized the 'hero shooter' genre alongside games like Team Fortress 2.
- The Overwatch League, launched in 2018 as a city-based professional esports league, was later discontinued in 2023 and replaced by the Overwatch Champions Series.
- Overwatch 2 was released on October 4, 2022, transitioning the franchise to a free-to-play model with 5v5 gameplay and PvE elements that were later scaled back.
Source
This History of Overwatch timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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