In Overwatch 2, players will take on the roles of the world’s heroes in cooperative missions that challenge them to team up, power up, and stand together against an overwhelming outbreak of threats around the globe. Players will also battle each other in the next evolution of competitive Overwatch play, which carries forward existing players’ accomplishments and loot collections and features the current complete Overwatch roster, a new generation of heroes, new internationally recognizable maps that widen the scope of the world, a new Push map type, and more.
In the sequel’s action-packed cooperative Story Missions, players will experience the advent of a new Overwatch as Winston, Tracer, and other members of the original Overwatch join forces with a new generation of heroes. Players will take an active role in the Overwatch saga as a new global crisis unfolds through a series of intense, high-stakes four-player missions. As the story progresses, players will team up as different sets of heroes and fight to defend the world from the omnic forces of Null Sector, uncover the motives behind the robotic armies’ attacks, and come face-to-face with rising new threats around the globe.
The battle continues in Hero Missions, where the Overwatch team will be called upon to go beyond their limits as they deploy across the planet, defending cities against robot invasions, taking on elite Talon agents, and battling the villainous forces laying siege to the world. In this highly replayable mode, players can level up their favorite heroes and earn powerful customization options that supercharge their abilities in co-op play—such as altering Reinhardt’s Fire Strike to ignite nearby enemies or modifying Tracer’s Pulse Bomb to cause a devastating chain reaction—granting the extra edge they need against the overwhelming odds.
Ahead of the Overwatch 2 Beta kicking off on June 28, the Overwatch team shared a development roadmap for the first two seasons following the game’s launch on October 4, and details of what to expect in early 2023. PvE info was also shared today, which will be released starting in 2023 as part of Overwatch 2’s season content plan. The Wastelander Animated Short featuring the second new hero announced for Overwatch 2, Junker Queen, was also revealed, along with her origin story.
Fans who do not want to wait for the offiical Oct. 4 launch can sign up for the next closed beta on the official website (Battle.net login required).
Overwatch 2 will launch 4 as a free-to-play live game, and we'd like to explain exactly what that means for our players.
Overwatch 2 will have seasonal updates on a regular cadence and a Battle Pass that will feature new content including new heroes, game modes, maps, cosmetics, and more! We’ll also be outlining Seasons One and Two and plans extending into 2023 with a roadmap for the game.
A free-to-play, live experience
Making Overwatch 2 free-to play is a natural step forward for our game and our players. Overwatch, even since its debut, has always been a social game, and our community has always had the most fun when we come together. Free-to-play removes the barrier to entry, allowing anyone, anywhere can jump into the game, group up with friends, or find people to play with online. Along with this shift to free-to-play, we’ll be adding cross –progression, enabling everyone to play, progress, and access their unlocked content seamlessly across all game platforms.
There will be no Loot Boxes in Overwatch 2. Instead, the modernized live service will give our players the power to shape their own experiences. Players can acquire the items they want directly through the Battle Pass and an all-new and consistently updated in-game shop. Our team will create and deliver seasonal content every nine weeks to ensure there's always something fresh and exciting waiting for everyone.
Roadmap and seasons
On the roadmap below, you can find our short-term plans for Season One and Season Two, as well as our long-term goals to grow and develop the game into 2023 and beyond. Players can expect to see a new hero every other season, with elements like new maps and game modes in the seasons between.
Season One (October 4) will feature Sojourn, Junker Queen, and an unannounced support hero, as well as the new 5v5 PvP experience, reworked heroes, new maps and modes, and more. We’re also releasing a reimagined competitive experience that was created to give players more tools to improve gameplay and feel a sense of progression in competitive play. Players will have more of an impact on individual matches with the shift to 5v5, and there will be additional systems in place to help you discern your contributions per match. More details on the competitive overhaul will be shared soon!
Junker Queen’s in-your-face Tank gameplay and ability kit was shared today. Wielding a giant axe, Junker Queen slices at foes, inflicting a wound effect. She can throw the blade as a skillshot, and retrieve it, which pulls any enemy hit by it towards her. Her ultimate, Ramage, has Junker Queen dash forward in a whirlwind of magnetized metals, dealing damage and tagging enemies with a healing negating debuff.
- 3 new heroes: Sojourn, Junker Queen, and a yet to be revealed Support Hero
- 6 new maps: Toronto, New York, Rome, Monte Carlo, Portugal and Rio
- New mode: Push
- 30+ new skins
- New Mythic skin
Season Two (December 6) will introduce a new tank hero, map, and a collection of unique skins, including a new Mythic skin. As we move into 2023, we‘ll move the story of Overwatch forward with the release of our new PvE gameplay which will release seasonably beginning next year, along with more new heroes, maps, and game modes. We can’t wait to share more information closer to release!
- New Tank hero
- New map
- 30+ new skins
- New Mythic skin
- New Battle Pass
A living, ever-evolving game
We‘ve always believed that Overwatch, at its core, should be a living game. Overwatch stands for inclusivity, open-mindedness, and community. These pillars led to the change in our strategy to deliver new heroes, maps, and modes on a frequent basis because we believe this is what’s best for our players.
Overwatch 2’s PvE experience will arrive in 2023 as part of the seasonal content structure, unlocking gradually throughout the year. PvE will move the story and lore of Overwatch forward and will feature varied encounters. In addition to PvE, more than 25,000 voice lines have been written for Overwatch 2, which include in-game voice interactions between each of Overwatch’s heroes.
To help realize these missions, the sequel also introduces significant engine upgrades that support larger maps for co-op (PvE) play, as well as the wide variety of new enemies and factions that players will encounter on their missions. The game also introduces visual enhancements designed to bring players’ favorite heroes—and their new looks for Overwatch 2—to life in greater detail.
Overwatch 2 also represents the beginning of a new era for the series’ world-renowned competitive 6v6 play. In addition to carrying forward all of the original game’s heroes, maps, and modes—as well as existing Overwatch players’ accomplishments and loot collections—the sequel adds multiple new playable heroes to the ever-growing roster; widens the scope of the world with even more maps and locations; and adds a new Push map type, in which two teams compete to make a robot (that happens to be pretty good at pushing things) push the map’s objective to their opponent’s side.
Overwatch 2also renews Blizzard’s commitment to continue supporting the existing Overwatch community. Current Overwatch players will battle side-by-side with Overwatch 2 players in PvP multiplayer. In addition, current Overwatch players will be able to play Overwatch 2 heroes and maps, ensuring the core PvP experience remains dynamic and vital for today’s community in the Overwatch 2 era.
Overwatch 2 is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC on October 4, 2022.
More articles about Overwatch 2