Blizzard has wanted Overwatch on Nintendo Switch for years, Jeff Kaplan says

It's been an idea for years.

Image via Blizzard Entertainment
Recommended Videos

This article is brought to you by StatBanana, the best Overwatch strategy tool.


Since the Nintendo Switch’s release in 2017, Overwatch’s game director Jeff Kaplan has wondered what it would be like to see the popular first-person shooter game on that console.

Kaplan said in an interview with The Verge that he and his team of developers immediately began talking about a possible Overwatch port to Switch. And more than two and a half years after Switch captivated Kaplan and fans alike, Overwatch is set to debut on the popular handheld console.

Before Overwatch could get here, though, Blizzard put effort into porting another one of its titles, Diablo III. And although Diablo was a perceived success, Overwatch proved tougher to port.

“It was much easier to get Diablo on the device than it was to get Overwatch,” Kaplan said. “And, like everything we do here, we wanted to make sure to do it right. It was just a long process of figuring out how to handle the development in a way that we felt like we would be very proud of the end product.”

Overwatch on the Switch is a logical fit. The bright, somewhat-cartoony style of OW really seems like a natural pairing with Nintendo. And while the game will be capped at 30 FPS (PS4 and Xbox One versions run at 60 FPS), fans still seem to be very excited to try out their favorite heroes on a new platform.

Overwatch on Nintendo Switch will be playable on Oct. 15.

Author
Image of Preston Byers
Preston Byers
Dot Esports associate editor. Co-host of the Ego Chall Podcast. Since discovering esports through the 2013 Call of Duty Championship, Preston has pursued a career in esports and gaming. He graduated from Youngstown State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2021.