Activision Blizzard is pretty confident in saying that its upcoming Overwatch 2 is a fully-fledged sequel and not an expansion of its planet-wide popular online shooter, promising new maps, characters, and a re-worked game engine to boot. Among these announcements were also two new modes - a long-demanded story mode and Push mode, the latter of which will also be added to the original Overwatch. And there is a chance that there is still more to come.
A job listing was recently posted onto Blizzard's careers website, looking for a new game designer to specifically work on Overwatch 2. Under "Responsibilities," the listing mentions that the applicant must "work with team leadership to design and implement new game modes and other game systems."
Granted, it's entirely possible that the new modes it's referring to are the aforementioned Push and story modes, but considering that Blizzard will no doubt be supporting the title for a while after its release, it's not unreasonable to assume that other modes will be added in the future, especially considering the Overwatch team has doubled since the first game.
The posting also provides a little bit more insight into what is likely the game's plot:
"In Overwatch 2, the nations of Earth are under assault. As the omnic forces of Null Sector launch a barrage of surprise attacks around the world, the planet’s governments and militaries prove quickly outmatched—and the remnants of the fearless strike force once known as Overwatch rally to make a valiant stand. Now the world’s heroes must each decide whether to answer the call to reemerge, reunite, and serve as a beacon of hope in a new era of crisis."
Since it's initial announcement, details on Overwatch 2 have been very scarce, so we likely still have a long wait until it comes out. Some fans suspect that, at the earliest, we might see a release this holiday season, thanks to a now deleted Tweet from one of the official PlayStation accounts, but it wouldn't be surprising if it was pushed to a 2021 release.
Despite Blizzard's statements, however, it may need to work to convince some players to invest in the sequel, with many still seeing it as glorified DLC that, so far, isn't worth a $60 price tag.
Overwatch 2 is currently scheduled to release on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.
Source: Blizzard