Overwatch players hit insane milestone for total in-game spending

Blizzard’s flagship first-person shooter, Overwatch, has become the 64th game in history to pass the $1 billion mark from in-game content alone. 

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According to a report by SuperDataResearch, Overwatch accomplished this impressive feat in June of 2019. This does not take into account purchases associated with the franchise outside of the actual game such as merchandise, t-shirts and Overwatch League team buy-ins. 

This marks the 6th title from Activision Blizzard to reach the $1B mark. World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Destiny, Hearthstone and even Candy Crush have reached this milestone. 

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Overwatch was released on May 24, 2016. Its in-game transactions using real-world currency are limited to cosmetics using a lootbox system.

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Players can also earn lootboxes by just playing the game, leveling up, and being “endorsed” by teammates.

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“Seasonal events” happen a few times a year which feature unique time-exclusive cosmetics. These seasonal events have their own lootboxes, which can be purchased or earned just as the standard ones.

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While there is no concrete advantage to having any cosmetic items equipped, occasionally certain skins will use alternate voice lines which can throw off opponents. Additionally, some skins may cause a minor disadvantage by standing out more due to its color pallet. Hitboxes are not affected by skins. 

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As a result, Overwatch is not a so-called “pay-to-win” game. Spending real world money will not net the player an advantage. 

Blizzard has been working on a new FPS title, according to job-listings on its website. It is possible the company is working on a sequel to Overwatch – something first mentioned in a Kotaku article earlier this year. 

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With a lot of new additions to Overwatch such as role-queue and the workshop added to the game, as well as new heroes planned, Blizzard is showing no signs of ceasing work on the game. 

It will be interesting to see what the company has in store for the future at Blizzcon. The event will run from November 1 to November 3, 2019.