With Overwatch 2's long-awaited launch only a week away, Blizzard has released an action-packed new trailer to welcome the sequel. The hero shooter has seen a long road since its initial reveal at BlizzCon 2019 with numerous delays pushing the Overwatch sequel's launch window. With major changes coming to the sequel like the main game mode moving to 5v5 and shifting to a free-to-play model, Blizzard has brought plenty of hype for the game in recent months. Now, the newest trailer welcomes the impending launch of the sequel.
Overwatch 2's launch trailer opens with another look at one of the sequel's new characters, Kiriko, before diving right into the cinematic action. The trailer showcases many of the first Overwatch's most iconic characters and their recognizable techniques including Reinhardt's shield and Tracer's dashing abilities. The trailer also gives players a look at many of the maps that will be available in Overwatch 2 on launch, with 22 maps in locations like New York City, India, and South Korea.
The trailer features a plethora of recognizable heroes from Overwatch, but also shows off several characters new to Overwatch 2 on launch. Alongside Kiriko's focus in the opening of the video, Blizzard also shows off Junker Queen and one of her primary abilities, using it to throw her knife at a rolling Wrecking Ball. The trailer's closing portion teases some of the cyberpunk-themed cosmetics players will be able to obtain during Overwatch 2's first season, with Kiriko and Zenyatta included.
Alongside the addition of new characters, mechanics, and game modes, Blizzard will still include a variety of content players are familiar with in Overwatch 2. Blizzard previously confirmed that all Heroes from the first Overwatch would be returning with new Overwatch 2 players able to obtain the full old roster after around 100 matches. Skins obtained in the first Overwatch will also carry over to the second game, with veteran players not having to worry about losing their old content. Overwatch players will automatically be transitioned into Overwatch 2 following the first game's closure.
The release of Overwatch 2 comes in a different gaming environment than its predecessor with hero-based shooters seeing a spike in popularity in recent years. Modern shooters like Apex Legends and Valorant have achieved massive popularity as hero-based games with different spins like battle royales and tactical shooters. While Overwatch may not be as universally popular as in its prime, Overwatch 2 recently broke a viewership record on Twitch during its beta test in April. Overwatch 2 will look to see similar success to its predecessor when it releases in early access next week.
Overwatch 2 launches in early access on October 4 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.