Overwatch Has New Content on the Way, But No New Heroes Until the Sequel
While BlizzCon gave fans a fleeting look into what's in store for players in the upcoming sequel to Overwatch, there wasn't much mention of the first title. Fans of the original entry in the series can take a sigh of relief that Blizzard's competitive shooter won't go through a content drought while work progresses on the sequel.
Jeff Kaplan, director of Overwatch, confirmed in an interview that Overwatch won't receive any new heroes until the sequel releases. However, players will still see fresh content hit the 2016 title to tide them over in the meantime, though no specifics were given.
One of the definite points Kaplan outlined is that the original Overwatch won't be seeing any new heroes hit the roster until the sequel releases- a date suggested by Blizzard to be somewhere in 2022. This is despite acknowledgment that players are hungry for this kind of revitalizing new content. The latest hero released for Overwatch was Echo in April 2020. The fact players are almost certainly going to have to wait over a year for the next major release is disheartening to the game's playerbase, but also speaks to the scale of Blizzard's efforts to shake things up in the sequel.
Overwatch receives semi-frequent, small-scale content updates like skin challenges to keep the game interesting without diverting too many resources from the sequel. While Kaplan admits this doesn't always please the community, he believes these small updates, like the game modes added to the recent Chinese New Year event, are a better option than releasing a new Hero, which he states would "delay Overwatch 2."
As with many titles, the workings behind Overwatch have been stung by the repercussions of Covid-19. The game's official competitive league has been delayed from its usual February start, in addition to the administrative issues that the coronavirus has caused the Overwatch League. As such, the horizon for Overwatch fans seems relatively bare in the near future, especially in contrast to past years.
It's a sad reality players have to face, as Blizzard's talent pool isn't infinite, and the studio is simply much more focused on the sequel for the time being. Stretching resources too thin would simply injure both games in the long run.
While there have been detractors stating that Overwatch 2 is a glorified expansion pack, the studio seems determined to shake off that image, promising a rich story mode and a shakeup to the original's successful multiplayer formula. The game has been praised for its interesting lore, and Overwatch 2 marks a fantastic opportunity for Blizzard to explore the universe more deeply, winning narrative-focused players over with more than the series' solid visual design and gameplay.
While this development is no real surprise to long-term Overwatch fans, Blizzard's determination to dig in and focus heavily on the sequel shows the company is set on getting Overwatch 2 up to scratch as soon as possible. While Blizzcon gave a surface-level look at the upcoming title, persistent rumors suggest that Overwatch 2 is due a beta in the coming months. Whether players will be treated to such a hefty update on the game's progress is yet to be seen, leaving Overwatch's player base waiting for the game's promised content updates in the long, waiting months until the sequel.
Overwatch 2 is in development.
Source: Gamespot
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