Overwatch’s beta has attracted more than 9.7 million gamers


Blizzard Entertainment today announced that more than 9.7 million players around the world played its upcoming team-based shooter Overwatch during its Open Beta phase, thus making it Blizzard’s biggest open beta ever.

As Blizzard noted, by the time the Open Beta came to a close on May 10, participants had joined forces for more than 4.9 billion minutes (over 81 million hours) across more than 37 million matches of intense competitive action, incredible teamwork, and all-out fun.

Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment, said:

“We’re thrilled that such an incredible number of players from around the globe got a chance to check out Overwatch during the Open Beta. Our mission was to make sure as many console and PC gamers as possible could experience the full game ahead of its launch—the response was overwhelming, and we hope that everyone had a blast.”

In Overwatch, players choose from a diverse cast of 21 heroes—each with their own unique arsenal of extraordinary weapons and incredible abilities—and team up to complete objectives on battlefields set in locations around the globe.

Blizzard’s first-person shooter is planned for a May 24th release!