When Blizzard introduced Overwatch 2 in 2019, my eyes squinted and my head tilted a couple of levels to the fitting. We’re within the age of service video games—a time when “outdated” video games get up to date for years after launch and problem the necessity for sequels in any respect. Overwatch was among the many first to kick off the pattern in 2016, and now there’s going to be one other one? How do you sequelize a sport that is not supposed to finish?
Virtually three years later, Overwatch 2’s complete deal hasn’t gotten any clearer. Blizzard has performed a nasty job of explaining what its subsequent shooter is, and it is already having a giant impact on its first PvP beta.
Left with scarce updates for these final three years of ready, gamers have naturally stuffed within the blanks, increase their very own expectations for what a sport known as “Overwatch 2” ought to look/sound/really feel like. Now we’ve a giant slice of Overwatch 2 in our palms, and seemingly no person is proud of it.
Sequel shock
Besides, maybe, for me. I am having a reasonably good time in Overwatch 2’s first beta. Sojourn, the one new Overwatch 2 hero at present within the beta, is a enjoyable combine between Soldier: 76 and Widowmaker. A lot of the hero tweaks, like Orisa and Bastion, have been profitable up to now. The controversial 5v5 shakeup has been a constructive change in my ebook. The brand new lighting on outdated maps is sweet. I even dig the brand new Push mode, which is mainly a map-wide tug-of-war between two competing payloads.
By and huge, the brand new stuff itself is not the problem right here. However a “single new hero,” “outdated maps,” and “hero tweaks” aren’t actually the unconventional new options that come to thoughts after I take into consideration sequels. On the primary day of the beta, I streamed Overwatch 2 for my associates on Discord. As I began a match on Dorado, an iconic Overwatch 1 map that now has a daytime model, one buddy rapidly interjected: “What is that this? The place are the brand new maps? Why are the outdated maps right here?”
I used to be a bit of aggravated by the remark at first. There are a couple of new maps within the beta, truly, however there are outdated maps too. To me, this is smart—I nonetheless benefit from the outdated maps, so I might be bummed in the event that they had been not noted of the sequel. As he noticed extra of the sport, he grew extra disenchanted and I understood why. My buddy, who has a standard particular person job and would not sustain as intently with video games, had simply assumed {that a} new sport meant utterly new stuff. In fact he did, that is supposedly a sequel!
Overwatch too
It has grow to be more and more clear that Overwatch 2 is not a sequel although, a minimum of not in the way in which that everybody on earth makes use of the phrase. It is not simply that Overwatch 2 feels just like Overwatch 1—it is Overwatch 1. To play this beta, you merely have to change to a unique model of Overwatch 1 in Battle.internet and obtain a couple of gigs of additional content material. The menus are functionally similar, however look a bit completely different. All of my Overwatch 1 settings had been mechanically the identical in Overwatch 2. I personal all the identical skins. My D.Va’s dancing emote is even mapped to the identical key I left it on.
It is not like Blizzard has been mendacity about Overwatch 2, however including a ‘2’ to the title has actually misled or a minimum of confused lots of people. Blizzard has technically been telling us what Overwatch 2 is for some time, explaining in 2019 that Overwatch 1 gamers will play alongside Overwatch 2 gamers, and that each new addition to Overwatch 2’s PvP (heroes, maps, modes) would additionally come to the unique Overwatch.
In each means that issues, although, the Overwatch 2 beta is extra like a patch. Or, extra precisely, it is an enlargement. Keep in mind expansions? Blizzard has made lots of them for its different video games over time.
When WoW releases a brand new enlargement, gamers get what they anticipate—extra of the sport they’re already enjoying, however with new story, quality-of-life updates, new playable lessons, and a brand new map. Based mostly on what I’ve performed, that sounds so much like Overwatch 2. It is attainable the notion of Overwatch 2’s scope will change as soon as we have seen extra of its mysterious PvE marketing campaign mode, however till we are able to play it, it is pure to imagine PvP will stay the sport’s draw.
I am unable to assist however surprise if Blizzard would have saved a protracted headache if it had merely known as Overwatch 2 the rest—Overwatch: Heroes Rise. Overwatch 2.0. Overwatch: Reforged (OK, maybe not that one). As a result of now, Blizzard faces two large issues:
- Lots of people aren’t clear on what Overwatch 2 is and…
- Those that thought ‘2’ meant Overwatch 2 can be a conventional sequel aren’t completely happy
That is why I am not stunned tweets like this have gone viral in previous weeks, with replies suggesting Blizzard is solely advancing the time of day on outdated maps and passing it off as new content material. I do not suppose that’s what’s truly occurring right here. The up to date outdated maps aren’t a spotlight of the brand new sport and appear to primarily exist to indicate off Overwatch 2’s improved lighting. That mentioned, for those who’ve been fairly assuming Overwatch 2 is a very new, transformative sequel all this time, it is a fairly dunkable video.
Overwatch 2 New Map Lighting Comparability 🌟 📽️Supply: https://t.co/9UAo68CzBj pic.twitter.com/tUPFJ7jVaJMay 5, 2022
The strains between enlargement and sequel are graying even additional now that Blizzard is formally splitting the PvP and PvE parts of Overwatch 2. Blizzard mentioned it made the choice so it will probably get Overwatch 2 within the palms of gamers quicker, suggesting that the marketing campaign and PvE is taking so much longer than deliberate. The studio did not go as far to say that Overwatch 2’s PvP will come out earlier than its PvE, however I am anticipating that announcement any day.
No matter the brand new deal is, I want Blizzard would simply say so. Make it clear that that is “Overwatch too,” not Overwatch 2. As a result of I am already uninterested in having to be the one to clarify it to my associates. “Nicely sure there’s new stuff, but it surely’s additionally the identical sport” simply would not roll off the tongue as a tagline.
I like Overwatch and, Blizzard’s horrible messaging be damned, I believe I will have lots of enjoyable in Overwatch 2, too. However I’d begin calling it Overwatch 2.0, simply to set expectations proper.
