Overwatch 2 release date and news – all the latest rumours revealed
GRAB your pistols and load up for Overwatch 2 – because it’s official, and it’s on the way.
We reveal the key info you need to know about the new game, including when you might get your hands on it.
What is Overwatch 2?
Overwatch 2 is a sequel to 2014’s Overwatch, the hugely popular shooter game by Activision Blizzard.
After months of rumours and leaks, Blizzard finally confirmed that Overwatch 2 exists at Blizzard’s BlizzCon 2019 conference in early November 2019.
Like its predecessor, the game will be a fast-paced team shooter in which players take control of fantastical characters with special powers.
The first game focused on online multiplayer battles, but Blizzard has introduced a story mode for the sequel.
The new game will shared multiplayer with the original, but will also have a PvE (player vs environment) mode.
Overwatch 2 release date – when is it out and beta start date?
Overwatch 2 was announced at BlizzCon on November 1, 2019.
Sadly, Blizzard has remained largely silent on the game’s release since.
The good news is that a virtual BlizzCon event is due to take place on February 19 and 20.
Blizzard has already confirmed that we’ll hear more about Overwatch 2 at the event.
It’s highly likely that a release date, or at the very least a launch window, will be confirmed.
However, even if we do get a release date, Blizzard can’t guarantee that the game will ship as planned.
The game-maker was forced to delay last year’s World of Warcraft Shadowlands expansion, saying it needed more time for finishing touches.
Overwatch – a quick history
Here's what you need to know...
- Overwatch is a hugely popular online first-person shooter
- It’s a hero-based game where players choose to control one of more than 30 characters, each with different abilities and playstyles
- Blizzard first revealed the game in 2014, but didn’t launch it until May 24, 2016
- It was originally put together using assets and concepts from Blizzard’s failed MMORPG ‘Titan’
- Players in the game work together to secure and defend control points, or escort payloads across a map
- The game is played by tens of millions of fans, and has even spawned a popular esports scene
- By July 2019, Overwatch players had spent more than one billion dollars in game according to estimates
Last year’s global disruptions (and the shift to mass home-working) has played havoc with game development, so we could see similar delays this year.
However, the Overwatch 2 release date could be far enough out to avoid any delays (or the launch window may already factor delays in).
In any case, there’s hope that we’ll see Overwatch 2 in 2021 – or a beta version at the very least.
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