Overwatch is approaching its second anniversary, but it’s still pulling in record numbers of engagement.
During its quarterly earnings call on May 3, Activision Blizzard reported that Overwatch Retribution was the most popular seasonal event in the game’s history. Retribution pulled in a “higher participation rate than any prior event,” according to Blizzard. The Retribution brawl was part of a larger annual event called Overwatch Archives, which brings the game’s history to the forefront.
Related: Activision Blizzard generated $1.97 billion in revenue in Q1 2018
Overwatch Retribution put players in control of Overwatch’s Blackwatch strike team of Moira, Gabriel Reyes (Reaper), Genji, and McCree. The squad of four broke into the Talon headquarters in Venice to extricate a big bad guy. But the plan changed, and Blackwatch had to fight its way out of the city. The previous year brought an event called Overwatch Uprising, another four-player co-op brawl.
What’s the cause of the influx of players? Blizzard didn’t exactly say. The co-op brawl is a new gameplay mode that’s sure to drive players, but Blizzard also points to the Overwatch League for upping engagement in the franchise. The company said that the Overwatch League kickoff improved the combined hours fans watch and play Overwatch.
The Overwatch Retribution event ran from April 10 to 30. Blizzard is expected to run a new event in May, designed specifically to celebrate the game’s second anniversary. Overwatch’s first anniversary event began on May 23, 2017 and added a number of new skins, emotes, and voice lines to the game.
