It only took three years, but Overwatch is coming to the Nintendo Switch next month — and it has motion control.
Nintendo confirmed during its Nintendo Direct on Wednesday that Overwatch would be released on the Switch on October 15. Fans of the popular team shooter have long hoped for a Switch port, since it’s the only major platform without Overwatch – and now it’s finally happening.
A trailer shown during the Nintendo Direct showed off the motion controls in action, with players controlling their characters by tilting the Switch in its handheld mode.
Choose your hero, gather your team, and contest objectives in exhilarating 6v6 team-based combat when #Overwatch to #NintendoSwitch on 10/15! Pre-purchase on Nintendo #eShop starting today.https://t.co/u4v7DLLBRZ pic.twitter.com/LdvRTTCPva
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 4, 2019
You can already pre-order Overwatch: Legendary Edition for $40 on the Nintendo eShop. The package includes the game, a three-month Nintendo Switch Online membership, 5 Legendary Hero Skins, 5 Epic Hero Skins, and 5 Origin Hero Skins — along with a Golden Loot Box.
We’ve contacted Overwatch publisher Blizzard to for additional details on the port and what kind of additional features it will include aside from motion controls. The game will likely use the Switch’s cumbersome voice chat system, which requires you to download an app to your phone or tablet rather than going through the system itself.
The much-anticipated port comes after months of leaks and rumors from over the past few months, including an Overwatch Switch case – officially licensed by Nintendo and Blizzard – that accidentally hit Amazon and was deleted a few minutes after it was posted.
We’re particularly interested to see how Nintendo’s notoriously awful online services work with a robust online shooter – and if we’ll start to see Overwatch characters in other Nintendo games, like Tracer showing up in Super Smash Bros., for example. We’re also wondering what – if any – single-player options will be available on the Switch version of Overwatch, since many people use Switch as a portable system and don’t always have access to Wi-Fi.
Blizzard previously collaborated with Nintendo on one of its other major titles: Diablo III was released on Nintendo Switch in November 2018, six years after the game’s original 2012 release. The game found a new life on Switch, allowing gamers to play it on the go.
This is a breaking story and will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.
