eSports News by Content Engine AI

Each year, Blizzard launches a number of big-budget games. Overwatch is a good example, a one-of-a-kind multiplayer shooter with flashy and stylized visuals that used the World of Warcraft engine to craft a distinct world. Although many of the maps, characters, and other features have aged over the past four years, Blizzard has stayed true to the game’s narrative — a heroic story of an American solider who goes through a Civil War-style conflict against a group of inhuman insurgents. The players? Well, they’ve spent $1 billion to get their hands on the game.

Overwatch is essentially the Amazon IPO of video games, despite being two years old. Last year, the developer saw more than 40 million players, with a monthly active player count of 17 million. It’s not a surprise, then, that Overwatch has long been a cash cow for the company, with other titles like World of Warcraft leading the way. Since 2005, Blizzard has released over 80 games to the market, creating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Here’s the breakdown by branch, as cited in an internal company memo leaked to Kotaku:

MMOs: Blizzard has plenty of their own properties, but one of their biggest, the World of Warcraft and Hearthstone online games, has become the go-to destination for users. The company made $1.3 billion from these games in 2016, making it its most profitable business area.

Blizzard has plenty of their own properties, but one of their biggest, the World of Warcraft and Hearthstone online games, has become the go-to destination for users. The company made $1.3 billion from these games in 2016, making it its most profitable business area. Mobile games: Aside from its video game product lines, Blizzard also creates mobile titles that are essentially mobile versions of its own games, like Hearthstone. The mobile segment saw revenue of $2.9 billion in 2016, with an audience of 104 million users.

Aside from its video game product lines, Blizzard also creates mobile titles that are essentially mobile versions of its own games, like Hearthstone. The mobile segment saw revenue of $2.9 billion in 2016, with an audience of 104 million users. Unscripted experiences: Diablo Immortal, a mobile-only Diablo game, is reportedly still in development, but over the past two years, the studio has released nine different unscripted games for console, PC, and mobile. These titles have made over $125 million.

Diablo Immortal, a mobile-only Diablo game, is reportedly still in development, but over the past two years, the studio has released nine different unscripted games for console, PC, and mobile. These titles have made over $125 million. Console versions: Blizzard primarily offers its games on the consoles, where it primarily makes money. The Battle.net servers are available on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, and each console release makes $160 million.

Blizzard primarily offers its games on the consoles, where it primarily makes money. The Battle.net servers are available on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, and each console release makes $160 million. PC/Origin Access: Though the PC versions of Overwatch and World of Warcraft are available to play, Blizzard doesn’t focus on sales on that platform. Instead, in-game spending is the main revenue generator. The PC/Origin Access subscription service, for example, generates over $400 million a year.

Overwatch was largely created to coincide with its parent game World of Warcraft’s tenth anniversary. The success of the game has given Blizzard a foundation to build upon, letting it look at other properties outside of the Warcraft universe. With next year’s release of Diablo Immortal, it appears that Blizzard will be going back to the dungeon master aspect of the original Diablo game. It’s almost time to grow old together.

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