Blizzard announced some early details about Overwatch 2’s PvE plans when the shooter will release for free.
Overwatch 2 PvP launches in early access for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on October 4, and PvE arrives in 2023.
Earlier this year, Blizzard announced Overwatch 2 would be coming soon so it could be used as part of the Overwatch League’s 2022 season. The arrival of the PvP mode in Overwatch 2 and its PvE delay has shaken all expectations for the multiplayer shooter. The confirmation that Overwatch 2 would be released for free last week stirred things up even more, prompting Overwatch fans to question what Blizzard intends to do with the game’s PvE mode.
For starters, Blizzard has now confirmed that their plans will be to break down the previously announced “full” gameplay of Overwatch 2 into smaller seasonal updates that will not only expand to PvP but also for both PvE. There will no longer be a single release that offers all of the PvE content in Overwatch 2 as planned by Blizzard. Instead, sometime in 2023, Blizzard will begin releasing portions of its overall PvE content update under the update.
While the scope of these individual PvE updates has yet to be broken down, Blizzard has said that all previous details for PvE in Overwatch 2 are still planned under the new release schedule. That includes more than 25,000 lines of dialogue, a unique in-game story, a cooperative multiplayer experience, and individual hero development including a skill system. Overwatch 2 will still move the story of the Overwatch universe forward in a way it couldn’t before, only through seasonal chapters instead of in one big package.
Recently, more information about Overwatch 2 has been provided by the publishing team.
Overwatch fans may have one big question regarding how Blizzard is changing its PvE plans. That question is whether Overwatch 2’s PvE will remain a paid service or if it will also be free to play. The answer is that Blizzard is not ready to talk about that yet. When asked, Blizzard said they will share more information on how they plan to deliver PvE in Overwatch 2 at a later date. As for what is known about Blizzard’s seasonal content releases, an update process has been confirmed. Overwatch 2 will officially launch in October and with it comes Season 1. Each season will last for 9 weeks, after which there will be a new update and a new season will begin. It is yet to be confirmed whether the PvE updates will be offered every season, two seasons, or on their own schedule.
Blizzard’s decision for Overwatch 2’s PvE is likely to be met with some controversy. The PvE portion of the game is seen as an opportunity to expand the overall Overwatch audience in a way that PvP cannot. The seasonal model for PvE content will be a completely different experience and may not be as appealing to players as a full game might be. Whether Overwatch 2’s new approach to PvE will be successful remains to be seen.
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