Blizzard releases first new franchise in almost two decades

Its been 17 years, but we finally know what Blizzard’s next big franchise is.

Earlier this year, Blizzard cancelled its massively multiplayer online game (MMO) Titan. Fans curious about what would come next arrived at BlizzCon Friday: Blizzard announced a brand-new MMO team-based first-person shooter. It’s called Overwatch.

Overwatch will take place on a highly advanced and stylized future Earth, which was saved during a time of crisis by an international task force called—you guessed it—Overwatch. Players will be able to choose from a roster of heroes that will have a variety of super abilities and weapons. Gamers can then join together in groups of six to battle in locations around the world from London to Egypt.

“Overwatch is our take on a vibrant, near-future universe with amped-up characters and action-packed team-based gameplay,” CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Morhaime said in a statement.

With every new Blizzard game, we look at our favorite aspects of a genre and put our own spin on things. Our goal with Overwatch is to create an awesome FPS experience that’s more accessible to a much wider audience while delivering the action and depth that shooter fans love.”

The gameplay trailer shown at BlizzCon shows off four heroes from the game (more gameplay videos available online). Those at the convention will be able to get their hands directly on the game and will be able to choose from 12 available characters.

The beta for Overwatch will arrive in 2015. You can sign up now online.

H/T IGN