'Overwatch' release date this year after Blizzard's 'Hearthstone' success

Overwatch screenshot Blizzard

Over the years, Blizzard has launched some of the most successful game titles played by millions of gamers worldwide, including "Diablo," "StarCraft," and "WarCraft." Now, there is buzz going on about the company's new game, "Overwatch," that is coming very soon. Blizzard's new game is currently under development, but developers are said to be pushing to release the game this year. However, some senior executives are reportedly skeptical. 

The development team of "Overwatch" still cannot decide on the payment model of the team-based shooter game. Yahoo! Finance Contributor Tae Kim cited an unnamed insider from Blizzard Activision saying that the developers are considering whether the new game would be a completely free-to-play or an expansion-based game. However, the insider said that although the developers are working on the final pay model, players will get the game for free initially.  

The game is expected to follow "Hearthstone's" success which clocked 75 million players worldwide. This is a big feat in comparison to other Blizzard titles, such as "World of Warcraft," which is played by 11 million. In April, "Hearthstone" is bound to receive its second expansion, which will put more emphasis on player vs. enemy gameplay and 2 vs. 2 action. 

The insider also spilled some information about "StarCraft II," claiming that the next game is already completed and is bound to be released soon. The game is rumored to be the recently-announced standalone expansion dubbed as "Legacy of the Void." The pack will most likely be released in the second quarter. 

Moreover, the team in charge of "Diablo III" has reportedly begun developing the new project set in the "StarCraft" universe. The new game title will have similar gameplay like "Warframe," "Left 4 Dead," "DayZ," and "Smite."

However, Blizzard has not set the date on stone yet for these games. More information will be out in the open when the studio announces the games.

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