BlizzCon 2019 recap: Diablo 4, Overwatch 2 and other big announcements

Overwatch 2

Blizzard’s worst-kept secret, Overwatch 2 was finally unveiled. Thanks to various leaks, a lot of the new features and mechanics in Overwatch 2 weren’t much of a surprise when revealed, but they are exciting nonetheless.

The biggest thing that sets Overwatch 2 apart from the original is a focus on PvE content. The game will put an emphasis on cooperative missions to expand upon the world and story of Overwatch. Story Missions will allow players to “experience the advent of a new Overwatch” comprised of familiar faces and newcomers to help defend the world from the omnic forces of Null Sector. Then there are Hero Missions, a highly replayable mode in which players can level up their favorite heroes and earn customization options to supercharge their abilities in co-op. The individual hero customization and leveling is perhaps the biggest and most-welcomed surprise in Overwatch 2 as it creates more of an RPG feel to the game.

Overwatch 2 also promises multiple new playable heroes, more maps and locations, and a new Push map type in which two teams compete to make a robot push the map’s objective to the other team’s side.

There are some complaints that Overwatch 2 feels more like an expansion than a full-fledged sequel. The good news is you aren’t forced to upgrade. If you don’t care about this new focus on PvE, you can continue to play the original Overwatch and still be able to compete side-by-side with Overwatch 2 players in PvP multiplayer. I’m assuming any new Overwatch 2 heroes, maps or modes will also be playable for original Overwatch players.

Overwatch 2 does not yet have a launch date, but more details, including some of the new heroes, will be shared in the future.