- The game’s open beta launches on October 4
- Overwatch 2 will be free-to-play and include a seasonal battle pass
- Upon release, the game will include three new heroes, new maps, and a revamped competitive mode
As we get closer to the release of the Overwatch 2 beta, Blizzard is teasing more and more information about the game.
A Few More Months until the Game’s Release
Overwatch 2 is one of this year’s most-anticipated titles, with Blizzard teasing the game for many months now. The developer has been ramping up its marketing campaign over the past week, and most recently it was announced that Overwatch 2 will include a battle pass and an in-game shop.
With this change, and the fact Overwatch 2 will be free-to-play, the game enters a new model, followed by other successful FPS titles. Moreover, Blizzard has promised the game will have a lot more live support and updates, a move that will help fans deal with the content drought the original game has been dealing with.
Overwatch 2 Will Have a Battle Pass
“From the very start, Overwatch was designed to be a social experience,” said game director Aaron Keller. He added that with the game moving to a free-to-play model, players will much more easily be able to play with friends, as the entry is going t be very easy.
Now that the game’s going to be free, Blizzard still needs a way to gain revenue. One way to do so is to have a battle pass for Overwatch 2. Each battle pass will last for nine weeks, the length of the new “seasons” in Overwatch 2, and will include some premium content. In addition, the game will also feature a cosmetics store, although not much of that has been revealed yet.
New Competitive Coming to Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 will also have a different competitive experience. Up until now, seasons of Competitive mode last two months, and players rely on a numerical skill rating (SR) to determine their rank. That ranges from Bronze to Grandmaster, with a special Top 500 rank in each region.
Overwatch 2 will introduce several tiers to each rank, so one could find themselves progressing from Silver One to Silver Two, etc. “What we want is for people to progress through these ranks,” explained Keller. “To do that, rather than moving up or down in rank after every match you play, after you win seven matches, your rank will get updated.”
In addition, players will have after-match reports to help them receive better information about their performance.
Blizzard Promises More Seasons
Fans have long been complaining about the lack of periodic content for Overwatch. To combat this, Blizzard has promised and revealed a content calendar. Overwatch 2 will have a “seasonal” model, much like many of its competitors.
Each season will last for nine months and include over 30 new cosmetics, new maps, a new battle pass, and a new Mythic skin. A new hero will also be added to the game once every two seasons.
Overwatch’s New Heroes, Maps, and PvE Content
When the game’s open beta launches on October 4, it will come with three new heroes. This includes Sojourn, who headlined the first beta experience, and a new tank called Junker Queen. Not much information about the third hero is known, but it has been confirmed he will be a support.
Some of the new maps in Overwatch 2 are going to be Rio de Janeiro and Portugal. The former has been teased for Overwatch 2 since the original 2019 BlizzCon announcement, while the latter is a new Push map with cobblestone streets and stone-covered castles.
Overwatch 2 will finally have much-awaited PvE, or what’s been dubbed Overwatch story mode. It’s expected to come out sometime next year.
As the date of Overwatch 2’s beta release comes closer, fans are eager to find out more information about the long-anticipated title, and Blizzard will be revealing it gradually in the upcoming months.
