First announced at BlizzCon 2019, Overwatch 2 is the highly-anticipated sequel to the critically-acclaimed hero-shooter from Blizzard. An update on Overwatch 2 is expected to come at BlizzCon 2021 on February 19, but reports prior to the show indicate that there may be some bad news in store for fans. While the game was originally expected to launch in 2021, the new belief is that the Overwatch 2 relase date won't be until some point in 2022 at the earliest.
While this apparent delay may be disappointing to Overwatch fans who are anxious to play the second game, it could give it a unique opportunity that it wouldn't have otherwise. Currently, the plan is for Overwatch 2 to share PvP with Overwatch 1. Eventually, Blizzard may fold the games into a singular experience, but for now, shared content is the plan. But now that Overwatch 2 is reportedly not coming until 2022 at the earliest, it may be best for it to separate itself from the original Overwatch entirely.
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Right now, the next-generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles are fairly hard to come by, but by 2022, they should be much more readily available. The two consoles will be more established and have larger communities. It would then be safer for Blizzard to focus on developing Overwatch 2 for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and potentially drop the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game.
This could prove to be a controversial decision, but it would ultimately allow Overwatch 2 to be much more ambitious than it would be if it remains shackled to the first game and last-gen systems. The PS5 and Xbox Series X could allow Blizzard to go all out with Overwatch 2, improving the hero-shooter's graphics, upgrading the performance, and potentially implementing gameplay mechanics that wouldn't be possible on older consoles.
A completely fresh start for Overwatch 2 could also allow Blizzard to address some of the more common complaints about the game. There are some rather unpopular Overwatch heroes on the roster, and their removal could completely shift the game's meta. Blizzard has suggested in the past that it could potentially kill off Overwatch heroes, and an Overwatch 2 that separates itself completely from the first Overwatch game would provide the perfect opportunity to do that.
For now, though, fans shouldn't expect Blizzard to stray from its announced intentions with Overwatch 2. As it stands, new Overwatch 2 heroes like Sojourn will be appearing in both the base game and the sequel, and the two games will be sharing PvP. Overwatch 2 will have its own story campaign at least, though, so maybe that portion of the game can really work to distinguish itself from the original game.
Overwatch 2 is in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.