Overwatch on Nintendo Switch arrives next month – Motion controls and everything you need to know

Overwatch for the Nintendo Switch has been officially announced following a week of speculation, anticipation and leaks. 

The reveal was made during the September 4 Nintendo Direct. The direct was advertised as hyping the upcoming Pokemon Sword & Shield and Lugi’s Mansion games, though many had speculated that Nintendo had other surprises up their sleeve. 

Overwatch will now join Rocket League, Fortnite and Super Smash Bros Ultimate as the prime esport titles on the system and will usher in a new era of fans yet to experience Blizzard’s hero-based FPS. 

Overwatch will come to the Nintendo Switch on October 15, 2019, and will feature motion controls to let players control heroes and their abilities (like Junkrat’s RIP Tire) by moving and tilting the Switch.

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While the announcement lost a bit of its impact after a series of product leaks starting with an officially licensed Overwatch-themed Switch case appeared on Amazon. Then earlier on September 4, a thread on ResetEra shared retail listings for upcoming Switch titles with Overwatch included. 

Additionally, Game Director Jeff Kaplan had previously teased in June that “something exciting” was coming in late Summer/early Fall.

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Regardless, this is still a monumental moment for Nintendo fans anxious for a new shooter to sink their teeth into. 

The reveal could also reignite rumors that an Overwatch hero is coming to Super Smash Bros Ultimate in the future. It had been suggested that Tracer or D.va could be making their way to the game following a series of 4Chan leaks. 

Overwatch is not the first Blizzard title ported to a Nintendo console. Back in 2000, the company boldly released StarCraft 64 on the Nintendo 64. More recently, in 2018, Diablo III: Eternal Collection was released on the Switch.