When Overwatch launched in 2016, it immediately earned widespread acclaim from critics and became a multiplayer shooter phenomenon. Blizzard has been supporting Overwatch in the five years since its launch, releasing breathtaking animated shorts designed to give more depth to the characters, publishing comics that expand on the game's backstory, and of course, adding new content to the game itself.
Some of the most exciting new content Overwatch gets is in the form of new heroes. Blizzard has been regularly adding new playable heroes to Overwatch since the game's launch, with 11 new heroes added to the game over time. The post-launch Overwatch heroes have been a nice mix of Damage, Tank, and Support types, and a few of them have become popular fan favorites. However, it's been nearly a year since a new hero was added to Overwatch, with many assuming that a new hero won't be added to the game until the launch of Overwatch 2.
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Unfortunately, the most recent reports about the upcoming sequel suggests that the Overwatch 2 release date will not be in 2021 at all. Fans of the hero shooter will likely have to wait until 2022 to get their hands on the game, and if Blizzard doesn't release any new heroes between now and then, that means that Overwatch will go well over a year without a new hero to play. While the most diehard fans may not mind waiting, it's safe to say many others will leave the game if Blizzard doesn't keep it updated with compelling new content.
At BlizzCon 2019, Blizzard revealed the new playable hero Sojourn, who is meant to be added to the game alongside Overwatch 2. And while Blizzard did not provide a specific release window for Overwatch 2, many fans were under the impression that the game was going to be available around the time of the original's five year anniversary, which is coming up in May. Some leakers and analysts also predicted that the Overwatch 2 release date would be some time in the first half of 2021, and while that may or may not have been Blizzard's intention, the fact remains that people have been waiting a long time for Sojourn.
Blizzard's original plan was clearly to keep Sojourn for the Overwatch 2 release, but it may be better to release her sooner instead. This way fans aren't waiting literal years for a hero who was revealed in 2019, as such a long wait could potentially kill fans' enthusiasm for her. As some may recall, the drawn out release for Damage hero Sombra was heavily criticized in 2016, and it would be a shame to see Sojourn get saddled with a similar reputation.
A key component of the Overwatch 2 experience is that its multiplayer is shared with the first Overwatch. With Overwatch and Overwatch 2 sharing PvP, not to mention cosmetics, it doesn't make sense for Blizzard to lose its playerbase in the first game by failing to release new heroes. As it stands, Overwatch 2 is on track to inherit an active online community out of the gate, but that could be undercut if people move on to other games instead.
While there are other ways for Blizzard to keep Overwatch fans engaged, adding new heroes may be the best way. Not only does a new Overwatch hero spike interest for existing players, but it may also bring back lapsed fans. If the Overwatch 2 release date truly isn't until 2022 and Blizzard doesn't release any new heroes until that point, then the base game's community could suffer and dwindle.
As it stands, Overwatch has an abundance of Damage heroes and not many Support or Tank heroes. Some of the post-launch characters have helped rectify that issue, like with the addition of Sigma, Orisa, and Hammond for Tanks, and Ana, Baptiste, Moira, and Brigitte for Support, but both classes are still completely outnumbered by Damage heroes. Those who play Tank or Support may be wanting some fresh characters to play as, and they may be more likely to stick with the game in the months leading up to the Overwatch 2 launch if Blizzard gives them some new characters to play.
As it stands, the last time Overwatch added a new hero was April 14, 2020, with Damage hero Echo. It's been nearly a year since a new hero was added to Overwatch, and so new heroes that Blizzard may have been saving for Overwatch 2 could be the shot in the arm the existing game needs to stay relevant while fans wait for the sequel.
Prior to Echo, Blizzard had already been slowing down the number of heroes it was adding to Overwatch. It added three new Overwatch heroes in 2017, and then three more in 2018. However, it only added two new heroes in 2019, those being Support hero Baptiste and Tank hero Sigma, and then just Echo in 2020.
Blizzard doesn't need to ramp up the number of heroes it adds to Overwatch all that considerably, but a couple of new heroes to keep fans engaged with the game throughout 2021 wouldn't hurt. In any case, Overwatch fans will find out more about Blizzard's plans for the game at BlizzCon on February 19 and 20.
Overwatch is out now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.