Blizzard Unveils Two New ‘Overwatch’ Characters; Zarya And McCree, Announces Beta For The Fall

Blizzard’s history of producing hit after hit on PC means that when they’ve got a new game to show off, gamers sit up and take notice. “Overwatch,” a gorgeous first-person multiplayer shooter was unveiled in November last year at Blizzcon, with previous few details made available. The company has just released a pair of brand new trailers detailing two new characters and announced an “Overwatch” beta for this fall.

Released at the start of PAX 2015, the new character trailers unveiled the Clint-Eastwood-styled gunslinger, Mcree, and Zarya, one of the world’s strongest women. McCree’s gameplay trailer, hosted on the PlayOverwatch YouTube Channel, shows the gunslinger emptying round after round of his six-shooter into the environment as the player holds down the left-mouse button. A rapid-fire mode can be engaged by holding both mouse buttons down at the same time, while pressing down the “Shift” key allows Mcree to perform a combat-roll. Tapping on the “E” key will prompt him to toss a flashbang, stunning foes for a second, while the “Q” key sees the player enter a time-suspended “Deadeye” mode.

Also hosted on the PlayOverwatch YouTube channel, Zarya's preview video shows she's able to unleash her deadly particle cannon using the left-mouse button and the right-mouse button engages her alt-fire mode, allowing her to lob explosive energy grenades. Pressing the “Shift” key throws up Zarya’s “Particle Barrier,” which allows her to absorb incoming fire without taking damage. Should players feel generous, tapping on the “E” key while aimed at a friendly player raises the particle barrier around an ally. The “Q” button fires off a mini-black hole called a “Graviton Surge,” which sucks enemies caught in its sphere of influence into a deadly vortex.

Gamespot notes that despite Blizzard’s incredible pedigree, “Overwatch” represents the company’s first new IP in nearly 20 years. Blizzard has relied to a certain extent on the massive success of “World of Warcraft,” over the years, so much so that it was able to cancel its long-in-development MMO, “Project Titan” after 7 years in development. Polygon reports the team simply couldn’t find the fun in the project. The beta for “Overwarch” is set to launch this fall on PC, no specific dates have been given.