Overwatch 2: Will It Hold Up?

Blizzard attempts to breathe fresh air into a fading, but loyal IP

The announcement of Overwatch 2, revealed at Blizzcon 2019, divided much of the game's fanbase. But the problem wasn't the once fiercely loyal fans fervently arguing over their ideal version of the game, it was the indecision and lack of direction taking place within the walls of Activision/Blizzard/King. While on paper, a sequel to a once wildly popular title like Overwatch seems like an easy win for a AAA developer like Blizzard, who employs more than 100 developers in Overwatch's Team 4 alone. But it turns out, getting the game into the hands of players and fans has been much harder than they anticipated. The main problem, as it seems to have turned out, was the lack of direction from higher-ups in regards to what exactly they wanted to be done with Overwatch 2. Was it to be a PvE (player versus environment) with PvP (player versus player) updates, or continue filling its niche as the fast-paced team shooter that so many fell in love with? What could they do to bring the players back that they lost?

Development Purgatory

Much of the problems with creating a game like Overwatch, or any hero/class shooter game, is just the balancing aspect of it. This was a problem plaguing their original title, as it had received little to no updates since the development of the sequel began. Many of the popular compositions being played were considered "meta" for up to a year at a time. The PvE missions had been the same every year, special event skins were getting seemingly more and more plain. But the problems at Activision/Blizzard were just beginning.

The news of workplace sexual harassment rocked, but not necessarily shocked, much of the gaming world. Being caught in the middle of a PR storm, and losing their Vice President, Jeff Kaplan, Blizzard doubled down on getting as much of the game done as possible and getting it into the hands of fans that had been waiting almost 3 years for a glimpse at what the future might hold for Overwatch.

Microsoft steps in

In quite surprising news, tech giant Microsoft offered Activision/Blizzard a deal they couldn't refuse, ultimately settling at $68.7 billion for acquisition. Would this fix any of the pervasive frat-boy cultures that had been so prevalent in the offices? Would it get the development back on track? But most importantly; would it simply gut much of their titles, keeping only the most lucrative in their portfolio? Fans feared the worst. But then we got real, tangible news.

Overwatch 2, a beacon of light in the mist

Then it came; April 26th. We finally had a date. The community was hesitantly excited, we had gone through years of stale gameplay, with little to no updates or content added. We were losing a teammate going from 6 players on a team to only 5. Still, fans were yearning for more news. The fifth season of the Overwatch League was to be played on the beta patch, throwing a wrench into many of the organizations that had spent the season building synergy between their 6 personal rosters. The community seems split on Overwatch 2 gameplay, but most seem happy just to have any sort of content added. The core mechanics of the game felt much the same, but the pacing was different, the UI was different, and we finally had new maps and a new hero to play-test. The beta, unfortunately, came to a close on May 17th, but don't fret. The Overwatch team announced that on June 16th, they would be sharing more news pertaining to Overwatch 2, as well as new PVP beta. For now, the community seems to have stepped back from their metaphorical ledge and embraced change, even if it doesn't fit their ideal vision of the game.

The future is uncertain for Overwatch 2 and Blizzard in general, but for the first time in a long time, fans are excited for what the future holds and eager to see more of the game they've been so patiently waiting for.