After a long wait, Overwatch 2 is nearly ready for fans to play. The PvP portion of the game will launch in October 2022, and Blizzard has been ramping up the marketing for its latest team shooter as the countdown until release begins. New trailers for Overwatch 2 have shown off additional characters being brought into the game like Junker Queen, and Blizzard has been speaking openly about how the second title will compare to its predecessor.
There will be some big changes in Overwatch 2, such as the loss of loot boxes in favor of a battle pass system to give players cosmetic items. While this has been praised by many, those who already have loot boxes and currency from the original Overwatch were left feeling slightly confused. In a Reddit AMA, it was confirmed that these in-game currencies would transfer over and be useable in Overwatch 2, as Blizzard hopes to keep both games running.
Something else that was confirmed by Blizzard via its Reddit AMA was that Overwatch 2 may replace the original game entirely. With Overwatch 2 changing the core gameplay elements of Overwatch, such as removing a player from each team to make the game a 5v5, it seems that Blizzard is looking to overwrite everything about the original game. Overwatch cannot be purchased on its own, and is only available through the Watchpoint Pack for Overwatch 2.
It had been expected that the two Overwatch titles would run alongside each other, as players would reportedly be able to use the same maps in both games. However, while Overwatch 1 will remain playable, it seems that from this AMA it will strongly resemble Overwatch 2, losing most of its original features. Former Overwatch Director Jeff Kaplan did state back in 2020 that any sort of "Overwatch Classic" would be too difficult to create, implying that Blizzard would focus on the future rather than preserving the past.
This may be disappointing to players who enjoyed the more MOBA-style of gameplay Overwatch provided, with a 6v6 format allowing for slower, team-based gameplay. Already from the beta for Overwatch 2 players are experiencing a much quicker style of gameplay, with focus being placed on individual FPS skill similar to a game like Valorant. While this removal of Overwatch 1 features will likely prove controversial with hardcore fans of the original game, it is unlikely Blizzard will revert its changes anytime soon, especially with Overwatch 2 only a few months away.
Overwatch 2 is in development with Early Access coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on October 4th, 2022.