The Big Mistake Blizzard Is Fixing With Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 was announced with a bang (and some controversy) at BlizzCon in 2019, but that announcement was followed by two years of virtual silence. Overwatch players were given the hope of a new game, but waited for months with no news about the game’s progress. The original game stopped releasing new heroes and competitive maps, making Overwatch 2 feel more and more like a false promise — something that would get infinitely delayedwhether it was caused by a global pandemic, a The workplace is reportedly drowning in harassment either churn in executive ranks,

But now we’re finally getting a steady stream of information about Overwatch 2 and how it compares to its predecessor. At a reveal event on June 16, we got our most detailed look yet at the future of Overwatch, and what fans should be hopeful about returning to shooter glory. The devs talked about the game’s transition to a live-service model, explaining how they will continue to deliver new content to the game for years to come.

Do I want those changes to happen quickly and without a multi-year material drought? yes of course. But the changes also seem like exactly the right direction for the game — fixing problems that plagued Overwatch in its later years.

That’s what fans should finally be hopeful about Overwatch 2, including plans for the first two PvP seasons, the end of loot boxes, and the introduction of a new tank hero, I’m sure will be a one-trick for the foreseeable future. Will become: Junker Queen.

overwatch 2 release date

Overwatch 2 is set for Released in Early Access on October 4th, It will be available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. Players who purchase the game before 11 a.m. PT on June 23rd will also receive the Founders Pack, which includes skins for Sombra and Doomfist, as well as a special player icon and an as-yet-unannounced gift.

Can’t wait that long? Overwatch 2 is getting one second beta Tuesday, June 28 at 11 a.m. PT. The beta is scheduled to run through July 18th at 11:59 p.m. PT. Players will be able to play as the Junker Queen and play on the new map, Rio – the home of support hero Lucio. You can sign up on the Overwatch 2 beta site. If you really want guaranteed access to the beta and don’t mind putting in some money, you can buy a Watchpoint pack for $40 and premium for Season 1 along with exclusive skins for Cassidy and Soldier 76 The Battle Pass can unlock another special player. icons and some in-game currency.

Overwatch 2 Content Roadmap

Overwatch 2 developers announced several changes to the game at Thursday’s event. outside the 5v5 move, which majorly shakes up the pace of the gameNo personal change feels like a titanic makeover. However, the changes should make for a gaming experience that blends familiar free-to-play structures with Overwatch’s unique, vibrant gameplay.

Here’s what we know so far:

• PvP will get new seasons every nine weeks, with a new hero or map added at the start of each season. The devs said the goal is to give each season its own unique feel, which could include major balancing patches. They are aiming for 3-4 new heroes per year.
• No more loot boxes: Each season will have its own battle pass, which will include a variety of cosmetics, including new skins for the characters.
• The ranking system is changing. The skill rating, or SR, system is being replaced with a new system designed to give players a better sense of progress, including multiple levels within each rank.
• They’ll also get new tools to help players improve, including a new post-match report designed to let you know how you’re performing.
• The game is adding Legendary Skins – a level above Legendary Skins that will allow players to customize each skin. Mythic Skin also comes with unique in-game cosmetic effects.

Sneaking new details about the season’s plans could be the biggest news of Thursday’s event. In live games, seasons start and end very arbitrarily, with nothing to differentiate one from the next. Getting a new hero or map (or both) with major balance changes every nine weeks will eventually give each season of Overwatch its own identity and most importantly, give players a reason to keep playing season after season.

Before the reveal event, I asked Overwatch 2’s game director, Aaron Keller, what would help the game stand out from other free-to-play titles that follow similar seasonal releases. His answer: Overwatch is special. “I think that’s what the original game stood for — I think magic is still a part of Overwatch 2,” he said. Keller also thinks the game will continue to captivate fans with its fast-paced gameplay, unique heroes, and a long line of exciting releases once it launches.

As a person who has been playing the game for five years now, I can’t help but agree.

Overwatch VP and commercial lead John Spector said that the biggest opportunity for Overwatch has been that players want more: “They want more heroes and they want more maps and they want to try new game modes and they want more stories.” want to continue and see progress.” The free-to-play model will allow the team to continually add new content to the game so that the original game doesn’t last for years. One-time purchases no longer do that, which is why games like Destiny 2, Apex Legends, Valorant and many more have adopted the free-to-play, pay-for-cosmetics structure.

Getting rid of loot boxes is also a welcome change and helps differentiate Overwatch from the more recent baddies. diablo immortal launch. But we’ll still have to wait for details about Overwatch 2’s overall business model.

Overwatch 2 New Heroes: Junker Queen

The Queen of Junkertown will be a playable character in Overwatch 2, nearly five years after it first appeared on the poster in the Junkertown escort map. The latest tank hero is ready to take part in the war and deal some damage. His abilities will allow him to advance, injure enemies and even draw them to him. Everything we’ve seen so far screams in an aggressive, one-on-one play style.

Blizzard made the game’s first cinematic debut since its 2019 Overwatch 2 announcement trailer. The new cinematic focused on the Junker Queen and her rise to power.

We’ve also seen hints of another protagonist in the works, possibly a supporting protagonist. The release date trailer shows a brief flash of blue fox spirit leading a team to the Spectral Gates.

Overwatch 2 is in dire need of more support. When Junker Queen arrives in the next beta, Tank players will have 10 heroes to choose from, both damage players will choose from a roster of 17 heroes, and the two supports will split themselves between just seven heroes – about half the options per hero. players in other roles.

I asked Overwatch 2 lead protagonist designer Geoff Goodman about that imbalance. He said the team was aware of the issue, that Overwatch had moved toward tanks and supports over time in new hero releases, but the team is now discussing the possibility of expediting that process. This could potentially mean back-to-back Support Hero releases. “We want to add more support,” he said, “and we have some more to come after the release.”

Overwatch 2 PvE

The announcement video didn’t say much about the PvE side of Overwatch 2, but the developers did say that PvE events will begin in 2023 as part of the live service. This is as much as we know for now, but the developers said they will reveal more details before launch.