The big reveal event for the long-awaited Overwatch 2 has finally concluded, and there are tons of new info about Activision Blizzard's sequel to their 2015 hero shooter. All of this is a result of the development team's constant work even despite the numerous allegations of workplace abuse at the company, and finally, we're here.
Overwatch 2 trailer screencap - YouTube
First off, we start with the official Overwatch 2 release date: October 4th. As reported by The Verge, one of the biggest changes for the sequel is that it will be going free-to-play. Aside from that, game director Aaron Keller has also revealed a pretty considerable roadmap for the game, which will be the basis of everything new about it.
New Content On The Regular Via A Seasonal Format
One of the biggest criticisms about the first Overwatch game (now called Overwatch Prime) is that content updates have basically died down. The last major update for the first game was the addition of the Kanekaza map, and its last new playable hero, Echo, came out in 2020. This was mainly due to the development team's focus shifting to Overwatch 2.
Well, that changes with Overwatch 2 as Activision Blizzard plans to deliver new content every nine weeks via free seasonal updates. This, according to Keller, will ensure that players will always have something new to do in the game. By going for the seasonal format, Overwatch 2 is also following in the footsteps of other live service games before it.
Story Content
When it was first revealed at BlizzCon 2019, Overwatch 2 promised a story campaign for the first time ever. The lack of such a game mode during the first game was considered weird by some fans, considering how Overwatch itself actually had deep lore underneath.
Now, its sequel is promising a "complete, linear story with a beginning and end to it," which Keller is excited for players to take part in.
Read Also: These 'Overwatch' Players Let Someone Win A Ranked Match After They Were Abandoned By Their Team
Battle Pass
After being rumored to have a battle pass based on some concept art posted online back in April, it is now confirmed that Overwatch 2 will have one as part of its seasonal content. But with the arrival of a battle pass comes the axing of loot boxes, writes TechRadar. These loot boxes were never really as problematic as, say, the ones from EA, but they're definitely going the wayside this time.
overwatch 2
As for what the battle pass might be bringing to players, the developers didn't share much in their recent reveal stream. All they ever confirmed about it is that with loot boxes gone, they will introduce an actual storefront where fans will need to pay real money for skins instead of hoping to get lucky via loot boxes. They also didn't reveal how much skins would cost - as well as what will happen to all the currency that players earned back in Overwatch Prime.
Three New Heroes
Sojourn was the first new character to join the roster for Overwatch 2. She's classified as a Damage hero and will be a specialist in dealing heavy-damage shots at mid-range, coupled with immense mobility. But she's far from the only addition to the game.
Junker Queen is the next to be unveiled. She's a new Tank hero who will be playable at the game's second beta scheduled for June 28th. And lastly, there's a still-unnamed Support character, which ZDNet writes could be the so-called "Kanezaka Fox Girl" that's been the subject of numerous rumors recently.
New 'Push' Mode, Plus Six New Maps
Players can expect a total of six maps to come with Overwatch 2. This includes the four ones which were playable in the first beta: Toronto, Rome, Monte Carlo, and New York. Assume that the next two will be revealed on October 4th.
The Push game mode was a big part of th first beta, and it's a relatively simple one. Teams compete to control a big Omnic whose job is to push barriers. The first ones to make the bot push the barrier to the end wins. But if the barriers don't reach the ends, whichever team pushed it the farthest claims victory.
More Updates
The arrival of Season 1 on the game's launch date will also come with over 30 new skins, though Activision Blizzard declined to elaborate which skins these would be for. There's also new skins that will come every season, and Season 2 has been confirmed to come on December 6th. Season 2 will also come with a new Tank hero, and a new map, alongside a new Mythic skin and battle pass every single season.
From 2023 onwards, the new content will keep coming which will include the game's PvE mode. In PvE, players will be taking on hordes of AI-controlled opponents in specific scenarios, which include Retribution and Storm Rising.
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This article is posted on GameNGuide
Written by RJ Pierce