Overwatch has been in a bleak place for a few years now. And specifically with the last major hero release in 2019, where Blizzard was somewhat slow about updates or even about introducing the new part of the game, there is no doubt that the wave of the epidemic and the ongoing allegations against the company disrupted progress, so games such as Apex Legends and Valorant came to take Throne from Under the Feet of Overwatch as a multiplayer shooter game. Will this change with Overwatch 2?
finallyBlizzard, Inc. is back in the still water movement. Where the company announced at the last Xbox event that the PvP mode in the game will be available free of charge to everyone, and this was what was expected, because it is the approach taken with online games in recent years, and today the company announced a complete roadmap for the launch of the game and beyond.
Game Director Aaron Keeler said in a group interview:
“The decision to play for free was not based on other games doing so, and this is based on our desire to be able to provide as much content as possible seasonally to players.”
It seems that all of Blizzard’s decisions are directly inspired by recent online games, even if game director Aaron Keeler says “it was a completely original choice made to please players.”
What’s new in Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 will have “themed” seasonal updates, a battle pass, challenges, and an in-game store. Seasons will last for nine weeks and between each season will follow a new hero or a new map, as with games like Valorant, and there will certainly be new skins with each season.
Bilzard expects to release about three to four new heroes and maps each year. This is a lot compared to the first Overwatch. It seems that Overwatch 2 looks back and counts what worked, develops and improves its systems to get the best possible shape, and articulates the expected pace of the update more transparently than before.
Keeler said it was difficult to see players asking for a new hero and new maps in the original game while the team’s focus was on developing the sequel. After release, he said, developers can provide consistent and substantial updates on a regular basis.
It is worth noting that the game will be available on the fourth of October of this year!