Overwatch 2 is set to make some waves when it finally releases in October. It’s been a fairly long road to release, and some things have had to be tweaked and removed in order to make it to our hands. But, the game is on its way and it’s shaping up to be, well, a lot like Overwatch – but more.
It’s no secret that Blizzard has very much stuck to the core formula of Overwatch when making Overwatch 2, which is exactly what a sequel should do. That being said, there have been some serious reworks of ageing systems, as well as some tinkering in the background to make the game better. In theory. Let’s dive in and see what’s up.
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Reduced Team Size
This is arguably the biggest change Overwatch 2 has been subjected to. A reduction in team size, and more specifically, the removal of a Tank slot, is massive. This change will drastically shift the game’s flow and allow games to be faster with less reliance on oppressive damage mitigation. Basically, Overwatch 2 decided to be a 5v5 deal, and not a 6v6.
Crowd Control Be Gone
Like with the above changes to the player limit to reduce frustration, Overwatch 2 seems to have also taken quite a heavy hand to the removal of Crowd Control options. Whilst they still exist, there has been a noticeable reduction. This results in less downtime, less frustration, and a tighter focus on the action.
Going Free To Play
Overwatch was an interesting title at launch because it was full price and included microtransactions. Overwatch 2 fixes that issue by going Free To Play. This makes accessing and playing Overwatch 2 incredibly easy. It should also allow for a larger player base due to an entire barrier to entry being shattered.
Battle Passes, Not Loot Boxes
Loot Boxes are becoming a heinous thing of the past – thankfully. Overwatch 2 has abandoned them once and for all and instead included the much more palatable, Battle Pass system. This is split across two tracks, one for players who pay for the paid track, and another for those who want to stick to the Free-To-Play track. This, again, is the norm nowadays, and more naturally provides rewards to players whilst also removing the pressure on their wallets.
Roster Changes
Overwatch 2 sees the complete – and full – return of every character from Overwatch, with the addition of Junker Queen and Sojourn to pad it out a bit more. If you have played Overwatch prior, then the entire roster will be available to you right off the bat, but players who are completely new to the series will be put through a lengthy tutorial phase that will slowly unlock the full roster.
Regular Content Plans
Overwatch 2 promises to bring regular new content to help keep the game fresh. Blizzard has announced that they plan on releasing a new Hero, Mode, or Map every nine weeks. However, Heroes in particular will be seen roughly every six months, with Kiriko being the first new arrival. It would appear new Heroes will also be tied to the aforementioned Battle Pass.
Cut Content
Unfortunately, Overwatch 2 will not release with a single-player or PVE mode, which is a shame. It was originally intended to be released simultaneously, however, Blizzard has pushed this content back to 2023. This is unfortunate since players of Overwatch have been looking to dig their teeth into a meaty single-player offering for quite some time. Alas, it is not to be…yet.
That’s everything we know so far about the new features in Overwatch 2. It’s shaping up to be quite the corker of a sequel. Good luck out there, Hero.
