With BlizzCon far out of the way, Overwatch 2 has been a continuous discussion amongst gamers over the centralized story mode, highly replayable co-op and in-game engine upgrades. But is this really what Blizzard needs?
When will Overwatch 2 be out?
An important thing to get out of the way first and foremost is when, exactly, Overwatch 2 will come out. To cut to the chase, we just don’t know yet. Overwatch Game Director Jeff Kaplan went on record at a Blizzcon 2019 panel saying: “I don’t know. I have no idea,” he continues: “Like, just let us make it great, that’s what we care about more than anything. We don’t have a date in mind.”
Why a sequel anyway?
On the BlizzCon stage, Kaplan said their team wanted to: “redefine what a sequel means” for Overwatch 2. It’s been over three years since Overwatch’s initial release and the demand for story and character lore has continuously grown as a centralized need for the public on social media platforms, forums and their Disney-like animated shorts the Overwatch produce every now and then.
The animated short, “Zero Hour” shown at BlizzCon, is a lot more streamlined than their previous disjointed animated shorts. Don’t get me wrong, the previous cinematics have always been a spectacle to behold, but so far, they felt a bit incoherent. The hope with Overwatch 2 and its story is to (hopefully) tie a nice little bow around an already exceedingly well-done game.
Is PvE any good?
Your Overwatch has you covered on the PvE side of things.
Overwatch 2 PvP will work seamlessly with the original
Overwatch 2 players can party up with Overwatch 1 players and vice versa. From a strategic point of view, this is well-done and much needed by Blizzard. I’m sure I’d be writing something different had it been cut off from the original Overwatch. With all the graphics updates and character updates for all heroes going into Overwatch 2, will we see the same updated characters in the original Overwatch? Will Overwatch 2 owners get significant jumps in load times? We’ll have to wait and see.
Rejoice, old players!
A huge announcement made at the BlizzCon stage was that for preexisting players of the original Overwatch, all cosmetic items purchased in the first game will be accessible in Overwatch 2 leaving no one behind. I for one am incredibly happy for this move, especially with the scrutiny the gaming industry is in over loot boxes in general. One wonders if this was a strategic move or something that was always considered prior. I do also question, however, whether Overwatch 2 will release skins for Overwatch? It speaks backward compatibility, but I suppose time will tell whether this holds true or not.
In closing
Overwatch 2 seems to be adding new things to the mix. With the fancy new updates, new maps, new modes and story, it’s a very tall order for Blizzard to fill. For it to be done well, I have to agree with Kaplan. Let’s just make the game great.
