Overwatch 2: Everything we know about the hero shooter

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The popular hero shooter Overwatch is getting a successor. Overwatch 2 wants to convince with PvE content in addition to a reworked PvP part. We have summarised all of the information for you.

When Overwatch 2 was announced at Blizzcon 2019, the joy was great. The popular hero shooter is going into the second round. We have summarised all the information on the Overwatch successor for you.

Release: When will Overwatch 2 be released?

Overwatch 2 will be released on 4 October 2022 At this time, however, only the PvP mode will be released, not the hotly anticipated PvE content. These will be added in 2023. There is no concrete date for the story content yet.

Preload: When will I be able to download Overwatch 2?

Blizzard has announced via Twitter that the preload is now available for existing PC players (i.e. from 1 October). You should find a corresponding button on Battle.net. The PC download is about 50GB in size, the console version is supposed to be slightly smaller.

Newcomers will have to wait until release day, 4 October 2022.

Platforms: Where can I play Overwatch 2?

Overwatch 2 will be released on PC (via Battle.net), Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. Thanks to cross-progression, you can take your game progress with you every time you switch platforms.

Price: How much does Overwatch 2 cost? Is it free of charge?

Overwatch 2 will be available for free at release and will launch as a free-to-play game. Whether the PvE content coming in 2023 will also be free or whether it can be optionally purchased is still unknown.

Is there a beta? How do I register?

A first closed beta has already taken place. Those who were not able to take part in this beta will have another opportunity from 28 June. Because a second closed beta will start on 28 June.
You can register for this via the (official Overwatch page) and hope to gain access. Alternatively, you can try your luck again on Twitch from the start of the beta or buy the (Overwatch 2 Watchpoint Package) for 40 Euros, which will give you guaranteed access to the beta.

What we saw and played in the first beta and what our first impression of the Overwatch sequel was, you can watch in the following video:

Roadmap: What to expect on and after release

Overwatch 2 releases on October 4 with 3 new heroes, 6 new maps, a new mode and the first season. From then on, a new, free update in the form of further seasons is to come every 9 weeks. Season 2 will start on 6 December with a fourth new hero (a tank) and a new map.

(This is what the current roadmap for Overwatch 2 looks like.)
(This is what the current roadmap for Overwatch 2 looks like.)

What is the story of Overwatch 2 about?

In contrast to the first part, the individual story missions in Overwatch 2 do not take place in the past, but tell the story after the Overwatch have come together again and are rebuilding their organisation. You can already get an idea of what to expect in a first trailer:

Overwatch 2 takes place directly after the events from the trailer and deals with the second Omnic crisis that is brewing up.

New Maps for Overwatch 2

In total, we know of seven new maps that await us in the sequel: Gothenburg (Sweden), Toronto (Canada), Monte Carlo (Monaco), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), New York (USA), Rome (Italy) and a previously unknown city in India.

Blizzard showed what some of the maps look like on the official Overwatch Twitter account:

In addition, there will be new weather effects within the hero missions such as snow and sand storms and new areas on familiar maps.

New Heroes

Sojourn

Sojourn is the first new heroine announced for Overwatch 2 and was already playable in the first closed beta. As a damage dealer, she has a large damage output that requires a lot of aiming water. Her slide makes her very agile and she can quickly change position and lure opponents out of cover thanks to her damage-dealing energy sphere:

Junker Queen

We don”t know too much about the Junker Queen yet except that the once exiled from her homeland reclaimed her kingdom. The two heroes Junkrat and Roadhog have always been a thorn in her side. Equipped with a shotgun and an axe, she will probably take the tank role.

In addition, a third hero is to be sent into the ring for the release on 4 October, who will take on the support role. It is not yet known who this hero will be.

New Enemy Types

Since you will not only fight against other players in Overwatch 2, but also against AI opponents in the various hero and story modes, these are supposed to be more varied than you know from the PvE modes in the first Overwatch.

Some enemy types such as the Breaker or the Herald were introduced at Blizzcon 2021. You can take a closer look at them in the following two tweets:

In addition, there will be new weather effects such as snow and sand storms and new areas on familiar maps within the hero missions.

Experiment: Role-Passive

As the Overwatch team announced at Blizzcon 2021, they are currently experimenting with passive effects for the individual roles. Specifically, this means that each role gets a matching passive ability. Tanks won”t be able to be pushed back as far, healers will heal themselves over time, and damage heroes will be able to move faster.

So far, this change is still in a testing phase. Whether the passive role effects will make it into the final game has not yet been determined.

PvP with 5 players per team and push mode

In Overwatch 2, the teams have been reduced in size. Instead of blind a team with a total of six people as in the first part, there are now only five, consisting of a tank, two damage dealers and two supporters. In the first beta, this shakes up the familiar gameplay quite a bit and caused quite a bit of criticism, especially among the support players.

The push mode is also new. Similar to the Payload mode, you have to push a robot into the enemy base by staying in its vicinity. The crux of the story: Your opponents also try to push the robot into your base. The player who has pushed the robot the furthest at the end of the game wins.

No Lootboxes, but Battle Pass

While there were still loot boxes to grab in Overwatch 1, which contained cosmetic items such as skins, avatars and sprays, these will no longer find a place in Overwatch 2 and will instead be replaced by a Battle Pass. Blizzard itself writes in a press release about this:

“There will be no Lootboxes in Overwatch 2. Instead, our players will be able to design their own experiences thanks to the modernised Live Service. Players will be able to purchase the extras they want directly through Battle Pass and a brand new, constantly updated in-game shop. Our team will provide you with seasonal content every nine weeks so there”s always something fresh and exciting waiting for everyone”

What specifically is included in the Battle Pass, and whether it will be cosmetic-only items similar to Lootboxes, has yet to be determined.