Blizzard’s Overwatch hits retail for PS4, Xbox One, and PCs in spring 2016

By Danny Cowan November 6, 2015

overwatch coming to pcs and consoles in 2016 owretail header

Blizzard’s competitive first-person shooter Overwatch is coming to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC platforms as part of an “Origins Edition” retail package launching in the spring of 2016, the publisher announced today.

Previously announced as a PC exclusive, Overwatch will now launch across multiple platforms as both a standalone game priced at $40 and in the bonus-bundled Origins Edition available for $60.

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The Origins Edition of Overwatch includes exclusive character skins and in-game items for Diablo III, StarCraft II, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm. Both editions will grant players access to the game’s full roster of 21 characters.

Overwatch is a team-based, competitive multiplayer shooter featuring a wide variety of playable heroes and villains. Each character boasts their own unique abilities and loadouts, giving players a multitude of options when taking on opponents in arena combat.

In Overwatch, competitors assemble squads of up to six teammates each, with individual players serving in offensive, defensive, tank, and support roles. The game boasts an array of multiplayer modes, including the capture-the-flag-inspired Payload and the king-of-the-hill-styled Point Control.

Blizzard announced in October that it will begin beta testing for Overwatch in the coming months. A closed beta is currently operating on PC platforms, while a planned series of Beta Test Weekends will gauge server load among a wider playerbase.

The company notes that beta testing invitations will be sent out on an “extremely limited” basis to select players, who will be expected to provide detailed feedback during the event. Beta Test Weekends will be open to larger groups of players, but will feature limited content compared to the closed beta sessions.

A final release date for Overwatch has not been revealed, but Polygon reports that a retail launch will arrive before June 21, 2016. More details regarding Overwatch‘s upcoming release will be announced at the ongoing BlizzCon event in Anaheim, California.

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Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Gaming

I can’t wait to go back to Street Fighter 6’s excellent Battle Hub

street fighter 6 battle hub preview arcade cabinet

Fighting games live or die on their online communities. Of course, basic functions like rollback netcode and cross-play are essential to a healthy fighting game, but Street Fighter 6 goes further by creating an online hub that celebrates the series and gives players somewhere to hang out between matches. Call it a metaverse if you must, but in reality, the Battle Hub is one-third of the Street Fighter 6 package and will likely be home to the communities and tournaments that ensure people will play the game for years to come.
It was also the focus of the Closed Beta for Street Fighter 6 this past weekend, which gave me a second chance to go hands-on with the game after falling in love with it at Summer Game Fest Play Days. The core 1-v-1 fights are still a joy to play and the beta’s new characters -- Juri, Kimberly, Guile, and Ken -- all come with the exciting combos and flashy animations. But really, I came away impressed with the groundwork Capcom is laying for Battle Hub and its implications for World Tour mode.
What’s the hubbub about?
The Battle Hub is one of three options players can choose right from the main menu of Street Fighter 6, and when selected, it tasks players with creating a character avatar that will represent them. I didn’t spend too much time with these options, but they seemed quite in-depth for those who enjoy a detailed character creator. After creating a blue-haired and face-tattooed fighter, I was thrust into the Battle Hub’s futuristic arcade.

Multiplayer hubs as a replacement for simple menus aren't a new concept for fighting games (Bandai Namco games like Dragon Ball FighterZ have done this for a while). Still, for Capcom’s first attempt at one, the Battle Hub is full of personality and things to do. Its stark blue colors, a plethora of screens, and many gameplay cabinets make it feel like the high-tech arcade Capcom wants it to be.
As soon as I entered, I could walk around, emote, and perform classic Street Fighter moves the Hadoken with button presses. I was also near two kiosks. At one, I could register and view tournaments and Street Fighter 6 events, although none were available for me during this Closed Beta. The other one was the Hub Goods Shop, where I could buy clothes and other gear to customize my character further with the currency I accrued while playing.
The other kiosks on the main level weren’t available in this Closed Beta outside a screen that showed which player in our server was performing the best. I then headed toward the arcade cabinets, most of which form a circle around the center of the Battle Hub. One person has to sit on each side to initiate a Street Fighter 6 match. While it’s a bit annoying to sit and wait for someone to play with you, I could always find an opponent if I looked around at every cabinet. Hopefully, the final game will have an option to get into fights slightly faster for those who want to simply jump into it.

Gaming

Hollow Knight: Silksong is also coming to PS4 and PS5

hollow knight silk song xbox hollowknight silksong

Team Cherry confirmed that the highly anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong will be on two more platforms at launch: PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
The official PlayStation Twitter account revealed the news this morning, adding PS4 and PS5 to a list of Hollow Knight: Silksong platforms that include PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
https://twitter.com/PlayStation/status/1570797280063627264
Hollow Knight: Silksong is a sequel to Hollow Knight, one of the most critically acclaimed Metroidvania games of the past decade. Hollow Knight: Silksong follows Hornet, a character from the first game, as she explores the unfamiliar world of Pharloom. When Team Cherry announced the indie in February 2019, it only confirmed that the game was in development for PC, Mac, Linux, and Nintendo Switch.
The game went MIA after an appearance at E3 2019, only for it to triumphantly reemerge as one of the first announcements of the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase in June 2022. Although we know that Hollow Knight: Silksong will be available through Xbox Game Pass on PC and Xbox platforms, it's good to know that those who prefer to try the game on Nintendo Switch or PlayStation will still have access to the game on day one.
Unfortunately, this PlayStation announcement did not come alongside a new trailer or release date confirmation, so Hollow Knight fans are still left eagerly awaiting its follow-up. Microsoft did claim that every game in its June showcase was "targeted to launch in the next 12 months," though, so it's very possible that Hollow Knight: Silksong will be released for PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in the first half of 2023.

Gaming

Multiplayer hit Mordhau slashes its way onto consoles later this year

A soldier walks away from a flame in Mordhau.

Mordhau, a visceral multiplayer game set in medieval times that was popular on PC, will finally make its way to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S later this year. In late 2019, Mordhau made the rounds as the hot and trendy new multiplayer game, like Splitgate and MultiVersus have recently. It stood out thanks to its large 64-player battles and combat that isn't afraid to be intricate, methodical, and quite brutal. While its player count dropped following its moment in the spotlight and the release of Chivalry II, Mordhau still has a dedicated fanbase that enjoys its tough but satisfying combat and medieval setting. Now, players on consoles finally have the chance to experience the game and could possibly revitalize general interest in Mordhau.
MORDHAU - Console Announcement
Triterinon, the Slovenian developer behind Mordhau, will still handle developer and publisher duties for the console ports. It will feature the same combat and modes players can find on PC, including the attack-and-defend mode Invasion, the territory-based Frontline, and cooperative Horde mode. The developer also confirmed that these new versions of Mordhau will feature crossplay. However, it is currently only going to work between console platforms, so new players aren't matched up against PC players that mastered the game over the past several years.
Although Triterinon did not share a specific date just yet, players can expect Mordhau to release for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S later this year. If you can't wait to play it, Mordhau is currently available on PC for $30.