Blizzard has confirmed Overwatch 2 is in the works – so it’s time to get the squad back together.
After seemingly endless speculation, Overwatch 2 was announced at BlizzCon 2019 and it’s now one of the most hotly-anticipated games around. The sequel to Blizzard’s team-based shooter was revealed by creative director Jeff Kaplan at the annual extravaganza, accompanied by an emotional cinematic trailer (which you can find below). With new PvP modes, new maps, cosmetic items and characters, Overwatch 2 seems set to push the series forwards and Jeff Kaplan has said he wants the game to be a «true sequel». Even more excitingly, we can expect the addition of story and hero missions which will allow for “highly-repayable” cooperative play with up to five friends – a first for the Overwatch series and likely to bring a feeling of freshness to proceedings. We don’t know exactly when Overwatch 2 will release—though 2021 seems to be off the cards —but we’re hoping that 2021 will at least be the year we found out a lot more about the game. In the meantime we’ve gathered together everything we know about Overwatch 2 so far below for your perusal. [ Update: Jeff Kaplan, game director for Overwatch 2, has announced his departure from Blizzard Entertainment. Read on to find out more.] Blizzard officially unveiled Overwatch 2 at BlizzCon 2019. Apparently the sequel is still in early development and Blizzard doesn’t know exactly when it will release, though it’s looking like it’ll be 2022 at the earliest. In a February 2021 financial call Activision Blizzard CFO, Dennis Durkin, said the company’s outlook «does not include» Overwatch 2 releasing in 2021. Raising hopes that 2022 will be the year, in the same call COO, Daniel Alegre, said that “The pipeline is progressing really well, and we anticipate that 2022 will be a great year for Blizzard.” Even more promisingly, Blizzard’s Jay Allen Brack said that a “major internal milestone” had been passed in the development of Overwatch 2 in November. When asked about the game’s release during the Overwatch 2 reveal panel, creative director Jeff Kaplan said, «I don’t know. I have no idea. Like, just let us make it great, that’s what we care about more than anything. We don’t have a date in mind.» In December 2020 Kaplan added in an update that the team is working «extremely hard» but there’s still «a ways to go» in terms of the game’s development. Expanding on this during a behind the scenes video during BlizzCon 2021, Kaplan and his team said that they “need some more time till we can say it’s perfectly polished in the way that we want it», adding that “in order to make a game great it takes time, energy, collaboration… Our goal is for Overwatch 2 to be the worthy successor to the first game, to be the next evolution and to be a true sequel.” During BlizzCon 2021, there was no new Overwatch 2 trailer but a behind the scenes video did contain some glimpses into the progress on the game, with looks at new maps and in-progress gameplay. You can watch the video for yourself below: Overwatch 2 was officially revealed by Jeff Kaplan at BlizzCon 2019, alongside an eight-minute cinematic trailer titled «Zero Hour». Check it out below (but have some tissues at the ready): During BlizzCon 2019, Blizzard also dropped a three-minute gameplay trailer for Overwatch 2 which showcases the sequel’s new look. Watch it below: We’ve gathered together all the news and rumors surrounding Overwatch 2 below, alongside the confirmed features so far: Jeff Kaplan quits but more news is coming soon Jeff Kaplan, director of Overwatch 2 and Vice President at Blizzard Entertainment, has revealed he is leaving the company after 19 years there. It’s been confirmed that leadership on Overwatch 2 will pass over to Aaron Keller, another long-standing member of the team at Blizzard working on the game. Following Kaplan’s announcement, Keller posted a letter to the Overwatch community on the official site, informing fans that “development is continuing at a good pace” and that there are “exciting reveals planned for this year and beyond as we ramp to launch. We’ll be sharing more frequent updates about Overwatch 2 progress and new features in the live game with you all very soon. “ No E3 2021? The ESA has announced that E3 2021 is to be an all digital event taking place between June 12 and June 15. On the release of a list of early commitments to the show, however, it’s been noted that Activision Blizzard is absent, suggesting that, like Sony, it may not take part in this year’s show. So, while Overwatch 2’s new direction Aaron Keller has promised to share updates on the game “very soon”, it remains unclear where and when these updates will be shared. BlizzCon 2021 BlizzCon may not have brought us a release date for Overwatch 2, but a 40-minute behind the scenes video certainly gave an insight into the improvements and additions the game’s development team is looking to make. It also offered an insight into why we might have to wait a little big longer for the game’s release date. Game director Jeff Kaplan and other members of the development team said that while “right now, we can sit down and have a night of Overwatch 2 and have it be a really fun experience” they “need some more time till we can say it’s perfectly polished in the way that we want it.” Kaplan himself said that “in order to make a game great it takes time, energy, collaboration… Our goal is for Overwatch 2 to be the worthy successor to the first game, to be the next evolution and to be a true sequel.” Over the course of the 40 minute video, the development team touched on the things that they’re developing and improving in the game, from its PvP, Hero Missions and Hero Progression to the Campaign and the appearance of existing characters. Two new maps were revealed during the video: New York and Rome. Both maps have completely different looks, with Rome leaning into Romance and ancient architecture while New York puts a sci-fi spin on Art Deco. As far as PvP is concerned, it seems that the development team isn’t afraid to experiment with it for Overwatch 2 with the intention of making something that feels like a “big departure” from what’s currently there. Tank characters, for example, are being re-evaluated in a way that will make them “toe-to-toe brawlers” rather than protectors. And it seems that no mode is safe, as Kaplan suggested that some modes could be replaced for new ones. When it comes to the new Hero Missions, every existing map will apparently be usable, with mentions of brand new areas in some specifically for the Hero Missions.
