Overwatch Is Now A Billion-Dollar Franchise, Not Even A Year After Launch

As part of Activision Blizzard's latest earnings report today, the company revealed that Blizzard's hero shooter Overwatch has crossed a big money milestone. It is now a "billion-dollar" franchise, the eighth in Activision Blizzard's portfolio, joining the likes of Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.

The billion-dollar figure covers revenue from game sales and microtransactions through the game's popular Loot Box system, according to Polygon.

Overwatch set a new record for monthly active users during fiscal Q1, Activision Blizzard said, though the company did not share any specific numbers. The company also reiterated that Overwatch hit 30 million registered players faster than any other game in the company's history.

The slide containing the Overwatch details also mentions some initial commentary around Call of Duty: WWII and Destiny 2. Preorders for both games are "very strong," Activision Blizzard said.

Additionally, Call of Duty: WWII's first trailer became the "most-liked" Call of Duty trailer ever and the fastest to hit 10 million views. It's pretty notable, since the Infinite Warfare trailer took a lot of heat on YouTube. For Destiny 2, Activision Blizzard said the premium versions of the game that come with the expansion pass "have attracted the majority of pre-orders so far."

Destiny 2 comes out on September 8, with Call of Duty: WWII following on November 3. As for Overwatch, a recent data-mining effort might contain clues on the game's next seasonal update.