The official Overwatch Twitter has announced that Blizzard's team-based first-person shooter has now reached 25 million registered players across console and PC. This marks a 25% increase in just three months, when it was revealed to have hit 20 million players. This would make it the company's fastest-growing IP to date.
Blizzard remains reluctant to share retail or digital sales data, and it isn't entirely clear how its player-base figures are recorded. Regardless, it's a phenomenal feat when you consider that this is a full-priced title. These kind of statistics would usually be expected from free-to-play games such as League of Legends or Blizzard's own card battler, Hearthstone.
You could argue that the numerous free updates have been instrumental in Overwatch's success. As new heroes, maps and the time-sensitive seasonal events consistently add new content to the game, players are kept active and might be more inclined to pay for cosmetic items. It's a strategy which seems to be working and Blizzard's continued generosity will be sure to attract many more players during 2017.
Late last year we took an extended look at Blizzard's shooter, and you can read our thoughts in The Rise and Rise of Overwatch.