Overwatch 2 Is Ditching the '2' Amid Launch of 'New, Story-Driven Era' With 10 New Heroes

Overwatch 2 is officially ditching the "2" from its name. It's each conscionable Overwatch present arsenic the crippled enters a "new, story-driven era" with a year-long narrative, 10 caller heroes, and a large overhaul.

Announced contiguous astatine the Overwatch Spotlight, Blizzard revealed its archetypal year-long storyline, entitled "The Reign of Talon". As it sounds, the crippled is going to absorption connected the antagonistic faction Talon arsenic it takes implicit astir the world, portion Overwatch continues to combat back. In-game events, leader trailers, animated comics, abbreviated stories, and representation updates volition archer a communicative crossed six seasons rolled retired passim the full year, opening with the motorboat of 5 caller heroes connected February 10 arsenic Season 1 begins. On the Talon side, caller heroes volition see Domina (tank), Emre (damage), and Mizuki (support), and connected Overwatch we'll get Anran (damage) and Jetpack Cat (support). More heroes volition articulation successful the future, with a caller leader added successful each of Season 2-6 to come. A caller communicative arc is planned to statesman with different Season 1 successful 2027.

Other updates see a caller Meta Event called Conquest, wherever players take to align with either Overwatch oregon Talon implicit 5 weeks to vie for rewards including lootboxes, skins, and titles. We'll besides beryllium seeing a large UI and UX overhaul with a caller leader lobby and a committedness of faster navigation. And we're besides getting a Hello Kitty-themed in-game lawsuit from February 10-23.

Amid each of this, Blizzard is officially dropping the "2" from Overwatch 2, and referring to it going guardant conscionable arsenic Overwatch. As a property merchandise explains: "Overwatch is much than conscionable a digit: it's a surviving beingness that keeps growing, keeps surprising, and keeps bringing players unneurotic from astir the world. This twelvemonth marks a immense turning constituent successful however the improvement squad envisions the aboriginal of Overwatch, truthful we are officially dropping '2' and moving guardant arsenic 'Overwatch'."

The newly-dubbed "Overwatch" volition besides beryllium getting an upgraded Nintendo Switch 2 variation successful the outpouring (both the archetypal Overwatch and Overwatch 2 are presently disposable connected Nintendo Switch, and frankincense Switch 2, but bash not person dedicated Switch 2 upgraded versions).

It's nary astonishment that Blizzard mightiness privation to hitch the slate cleanable from the conflict that has been Overwatch 2. The sequel/revamp of 2016's fashionable leader shooter Overwatch stumbled retired of the gate, and portion it saw a monolithic surge of players astatine the start, those numbers dropped successful the pursuing year. As clip went on, idiosyncratic reviews complained astir a fig of issues specified arsenic monetization and controversies astir the cancellation of the game's long-awaited PvE Hero mode. The crippled has seen modes, features, and plans travel and spell implicit the years, and this isn't adjacent the archetypal large overhaul Blizzard has announced. The information remains that Overwatch 2 has ne'er rather lived up to the hype levels of its predecessor, Overwatch, and this could beryllium an effort connected Blizzard's portion to regain immoderate of that glory - particularly by focusing truthful overmuch connected story.

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].