Blizzard Entertainment has officially announced Overwatch Rush, a mobile-only top-down hero shooter set in the Overwatch universe.

On the 24th, Blizzard unveiled Overwatch Rush, a new title leveraging the Overwatch IP, via its official blog. This project is not a simple mobile port of the existing Overwatch. Instead, it is a standalone title designed from the ground up specifically for mobile. The revealed video contains actual gameplay footage: while it still depicts team-based play in the spirit of Overwatch, the top-down perspective is presented as a way to help players read and track the battlefield more easily. The game also showcases a mobile-first control scheme using a virtual joystick and on-screen buttons. That said, the heroes’ showcased abilities appear to match their counterparts in Overwatch, suggesting the game aims to preserve familiar Overwatch identity while also offering a different style of play.

Blizzard also stated that the game is being developed not by Team 4, the group responsible for the existing PC and console versions of Overwatch, but by a separate dedicated Blizzard team. According to Blizzard, this team has experience developing mobile games, while Team 4 will continue focusing on Overwatch development and updates. Blizzard emphasized again that this new title has been built with mobile play in mind from the outset and that preparations are underway for testing.

Meanwhile, along with the announcement, Game Informer published hands-on impressions from an early play session. Game Informer reported that Blizzard’s Barcelona team is developing the title, and that while it shares many similar—sometimes identical—mechanics with the mainline game, it features controls and accessibility tailored for mobile. The outlet also noted that some elements have been changed—for example, Mercy’s ultimate shifts from Resurrect to an ultimate that provides damage and healing auras. In addition, while players cannot switch heroes mid-match, Game Informer said it is possible to upgrade a range of masteries through repeated play—such as Reinhardt generating a whirlwind, or Tracer dealing damage to enemies she passes through while rewinding time.

Blizzard said the project remains in early development, and that the company plans to run tests in select countries. The minimum device specifications were introduced as Samsung Galaxy A14 5G and iPhone SE (2nd generation). Blizzard added that controller support is not currently available, but that it will consider a variety of options based on test results. The initial roster confirmed so far includes Tracer, Reinhardt, Kiriko, Soldier: 76, Lúcio, Pharah, Mercy, and Reaper.

The developers reiterated that because this is a standalone title being developed by a team separate from the core Overwatch development group, it will not affect the Overwatch development work being carried out by Team 4. This can be interpreted as a strategy aimed at maintaining the existing Overwatch player base while also bringing mobile-focused, more casual users into the Overwatch universe.

The game will launch as a free-to-play title with in-app purchases, and Blizzard said that exact scheduling and test details will be revealed at a later date.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.