Ever since its official release in May 2016, "Overwatch" - the now wildly popular first-person shooter arena - has amassed for itself a massive following and a record-breaking half a billion dollars in revenue. Its launch brought about the biggest quarter for video game developer giant Blizzard Entertainment, and the fandom is showing no signs of losing interest any time soon.

For the Christmas season, Blizzard surprised players with five free holiday loot boxes - a sweet 'thank you' to their supportive "Overwatch" fans. The boxes included seasonal skins for characters including Winston, McCree, Reaper, Lucio, and Sombra - to name a few. There were also seasonal items and events, such as a new snowball gun for Mei, a hero character that ordinarily sprays ice as her offensive.

While Christmas-themed "Overwatch" was a true delight, it ends just a little after New Years'. So what do players have to look forward to this coming 2017?

Ecopoint: Antartica, And The Need For More Maps. For starters, Wired posits that Blizzard Entertainment could stand to add more maps and heroes to "Overwatch" 2017. As far as location goes, the latest map - Ecopoint: Antarctica - has been a rousing success for many fans, especially those looking for a new challenge other than the quick-and-competitive play posed by the 6v6 set-up. Ecopoint: Antarctica is host to two new game modes: 1v1 mystery duel and 3v3 elimination.

DLC: Multiple New Characters. US Gamer reports that game director Jeff Kaplan hinted at new multiple characters and events for "Overwatch" 2017. One particular hero has been described as "very promising," but the company remains tight-lipped on the specifics. Yibada also reports that Blizzard is setting the bar high: the company reportedly expects fans to be surprised by the number of events they have planned for 2017. There's also talk of an upgrade to the communications wheel.

Needless to say, fans are on pins and needles for 2017. Whether Overwatch 2017 fulfills fan's expectations is anyone's guess, but given what we're seeing right now, the odds are pretty much in their favor.