Overwatch 2 will replace the original game after October 4 launch

The full release of Overwatch 2 will replace the original game, Activision Blizzard has confirmed. The Overwatch is currently in its beta phase with limited access and limited modes available for players. The game is set to release on October 4, when it will replace the original game.

Blizzard first announced Overwatch 2 during Blizzcon 2019. The excitement and enthusiasm for the release of the new game, however, had to take a backseat as development progressed slowly through the pandemic. 

In a Reddit AMA, Overwatch developers shed some light on some of the most common questions on people’s minds. Players were eager to know what would happen to their lootboxes and their progression in the original game. The AMA also revealed that the release of the new game will mean the original game is going to be replaced by Overwatch 2.

What’s new in Overwatch 2?

Overwatch 2 loot boxes

Those existing currencies (credits, OWL tokens, and competitive points) will come with you into Overwatch 2. We are not transitioning loot boxes into Overwatch 2, and ahead of launch, any unopened loot boxes will be automatically opened with your account receiving all the contents directly. EDIT: clarified below as well that OW1 credits come with you to OW2, but our new virtual currency will be the main currency, and there will be things in OW2 that will not be purchasable with those OW1 credits.

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Loot boxes formed an important part of Overwatch. Players earned loot boxes for completing milestones which could grant them various cosmetic skins and in-game features. Those who desired to have a better chance of earning a better skin could even buy loot boxes in the game. 

However, existing currencies such as credits, OWL Tokens and competitive points will transition to Overwatch 2. However, the new game will have its own virtual currency which will be the dominant currency. 

This could mean that Blizzard will slowly phase out the existing currencies at a later stage. There’s been no official word out on the same.

Will Overwatch 2 replace Overwatch?

When OW2 launches on Oct 4th it will be a replacement for the current Live Service.

Akelier

When the game releases on October 4, Blizzard has confirmed that OW2 will replace the existing game. This means all players will be ported over to the new game which features new heroes, maps and modes. 

Overwatch 2 also features a PvE mode that will allow players to explore the realm of the Overwatch universe and get a deeper understanding of their favorite heroes. 

What about Player MMRs?

We won’t be performing a complete MMR reset for Overwatch 2, but we do plan on lowering the MMR of accounts who haven’t played in a while as part of a new “decay” system. A complete reset would mean that games would be completely imbalanced for weeks or longer across the entire service, and we don’t think that will be a great experience for everyone.

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Existing MMRs in the game will not reset as players transition over to Overwatch 2. As both the games are very similar, Blizzard has the assumption that players’ current MMR is an accurate representation of their skill.

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What is the difference between Push and Escort maps?

The biggest and most obvious difference between Push and Escort is that the path that TS-1 can traverse is much longer to allow for multiple team fights to occur before a team could win the map. At the same time, it’s very important that run times from spawn locations don’t become too long. So that led us during map design to explore paths for TS-1 that looped around such as in Colosseo, or snaked back and forth such as New Queen street. During early playtests, we quickly realized this also meant there were a lot more flanking opportunities and cool places for team fights to occur. We all thought that was really cool, and created a very different feel for Push than our previous escort maps.

Push is a new mode in Overwatch 2. Although it feels very similar to the Escort map mode, Push allows players to have more frequent fighting opportunities. Overwatch 2 also features 5 player-teams instead of six. This makes the teams less reliant on tanks’ shields and more on DPS and mobility/healing. 

Moira will get some significant changes in Overwatch 2.

After the first beta playtest, players noticed that the push modes allowed for teams to explore more flanking opportunities. This often led to more chaotic teamfights. This allowed the push mode to feel significantly different from the existing Escort map modes. 

On why there are only three new heroes at launch

The season 2 hero is almost finished, and we’re in varied stages of playtesting for the next 3 heroes, 2 of which are supports!

Akelier

Overwatch 2 will launch with three new heroes. For many in the Overwatch community, this number is low especially after several months of no new content. Blizzard announced Overwatch 2 in 2019 and since then there’s been only one new hero – Echo.

While Blizzard has already revealed the names of two new heroes that will come in Overwatch 2 – Junker Queen and Sojourn – for many fans, this was too little too late. 

In the Reddit Ama, we had two Overwatch developers come out to explain what goes on behind the scenes. They are also excited to work on releasing content as soon as it is ready.

A couple of things we are excited about is how much work we’ve put in the last few years,” said Blizzard Kacey. “New Heroes require a massive amount of work for so many departments including design, art, tech art, animation, vfx, sound, and many others. They also come with their own additional launch skins, weapons, anims, etc. Then add on top that we’ve done a complete visual rework for all 33 existing Heroes.”

The Blizzard development team has restructured to provide a seamless process of producing and releasing new content.

“In order to succeed with our new plan long-term, we’ve grown and restructured the team. We’re over three times the size we were at launch. We have big plans for the game, beyond new heroes, maps and game modes, and to accomplish these while still creating content for our seasons takes a lot resources and a lot of planning. For instance, we have several heroes deep into development. The season 2 hero is almost finished, and we’re in varied stages of playtesting for the next 3 heroes, 2 of which are supports!,” said Blizzard’s Akelier. 

Overall the Reddit AMA helped the community clear up quite a few questions they had about the game. Overwatch is one of the most beautiful games out there and has a passionate fanbase. It is only obvious that they expect the best. Sometimes fans can be a bit unreasonable, but the collective love for the game and its lore is undeniable.

Stay tuned to esports.gg for more Overwatch 2 content and updates. 

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