Overwatch 2 is getting much more robust PvE content than the original game had, and Blizzard Entertainment says it’s had to create new tools to make it work. Blizzard announced Overwatch 2 at BlizzCon 2019 following a wave of leaks and rumors that made the game’s reveal all but certain before it was made official.
Blizzard is making a number of unusual moves with Overwatch 2. When the game launches, it will include new PvP modes and presumably new heroes, and continue to add multiplayer content after release. However, players who only own the original Overwatch and don’t buy the sequel will be able to play all of that new PvP content. The only thing that will be locked behind a purchase of Overwatch 2 is the game’s PvE content, a new focus for Blizzard. While the original Overwatch had seasonal PvE missions that cycled in and out of the game, the campaign appears to be a much bigger part of Overwatch 2.
In a new blog post, Blizzard details the development of its internal tools and engine, which are being reworked for Overwatch 2. Some of the changes Blizzard is making to its tools involve making them work with newer hardware and adding new visual tricks, but it sounds like Overwatch 2’s focus on PvE is driving a more fundamental change. As Blizzard says, the game’s PvE maps are more complex than the ones in the original, hosting longer missions based around more interesting enemy tactics. In order to keep track of all of the new moving parts, Blizzard says it’s still actively making upgrades to its tools in order to let it track enemy spawning and behavior.
Blizzard dropped a fair amount of information in its reveal of Overwatch 2, but hasn’t announced much about the game since then. One vital detail that’s still missing is when the game will launch. A rumor earlier this year pinned Overwatch 2’s release date to 2020, which is looking more and more unlikely given how little has been revealed about the game so far. Add to that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and Blizzard’s latest comments about still working on the tools it needs to develop PvE, and it seems like Overwatch 2 won’t see the light of day until 2021 at the very earliest.
Overwatch 2 may still be a long way away, but it could deliver on the kind of story-based gameplay that players so obviously crave. Despite having next to no story in-game, one thing that makes Overwatch so irresistible for many players is its cast of characters, who could get a chance to really shine in Overwatch 2’s campaign.
Source: Blizzard Entertainment