ESPN recently published a post detailing a ton of leaked Overwatch 2 information, confirming that the game will be revealed at BlizzCon 2019, that it will feature PvE along with PvP, that it will have new heroes, and more. Another leaker, Metro_OW, who has accurately leaked Overwatch information in the past, has expanded on the claims in the ESPN article. According to Metro_OW, Overwatch as fans currently know it will be "scrapped" and replaced by Overwatch 2 in an update, as opposed to Blizzard releasing a brand new game and splitting up the community.
Metro_OW compared the Overwatch 2 release to Fortnite: Chapter 2. For the uninitiated, Epic Games released a significant update for Fortnite dubbed "Chapter 2" that completely replaced the original battle royale map and added a number of brand new gameplay mechanics. Apparently, Blizzard is looking to do something similar with Overwatch 2. This way, it will be able to hang on to the large playerbase it has established with the original game, and it would instantly have millions of players available to play the sequel.
While this would be somewhat surprising for Blizzard to do, it makes sense for a number of reasons. Besides the aforementioned ability to keep Overwatch 1's install base, this would also allow Blizzard to get rid of loot boxes for Overwatch 2. The use of loot boxes in video games has become increasingly controversial, and the practice has been outright banned in some countries. Overwatch 2 could be the company's chance to drop them completely and not have to worry about any potential loot box-banning legislation down the line.
Another reason why this would make sense is that Overwatch 2 will reportedly have PvP alongside its 4-player co-op PvE campaign. With the sequel having PvP, it would split the Overwatch community up, potentially hurting both games. This way, Blizzard can create a brand new experience with Overwatch 2 while still keeping the community intact.
This may sound like great news for some players, though others may be disappointed that the original Overwatch will apparently cease to exist. This may even mean that Overwatch skins that players played to get, and some even paid real money to obtain, will be lost in the transition as well. That has been rumored in the past, though it remains to be seen if that will happen or not. If so, Blizzard will likely be facing some pretty significant backlash from hardcore Overwatch players.
On the bright side, if this information is accurate, it would mean players can get their hands on Overwatch 2 without buying a brand new game. They will supposedly be able to just update the original Overwatch game that they already have. We'll find out at BlizzCon 2019 on Friday, November 1 if there's any truth to this, and in the meantime fans should treat all of these Overwatch 2 leaks with a healthy amount of skepticism.
Overwatch 2 is rumored to be in development for unspecified platforms.
Source: TwitLonger