'Overwatch 2' release date, trailers and everything we know so far (2024)

You probably want to know ‘when is Overwatch 2 coming out?’ Well, thankfully after years of waiting, we now know when it’ll be launching. In a strange process, we’re also going to see some of the content from the new game appear in Overwatch, too, making this sequel a truly difficult one to try and pin down, but we’ve done our best and gathered everything we can below for your reading pleasure.

  • READ MORE: Sexual harassment claims, lawsuits, and several high profile departures – what’s going on with Activision Blizzard?

If you need a top-line understanding of what Overwatch 2 is, fret not: we’ve got you sorted. In essence, Overwatch 2is more like an expansion than an honest-to-God sequel. The game will add a swathe of PvE content to the whole experience and is focusing on putting the world’s narrative at the head of the project. Expect more story, dialogue, and inter-character chat than we’ve seen before, then.

Per Blizzard, in Overwatch 2 you will “team up as different sets of heroes and fight to defend the world from the omnic forces of Null Sector, uncover the motives behind the robotic armies’ attacks, and come face-to-face with rising new threats around the globe.” There will be both Story Missions (where you’ll team up and take down Null Sector) and Hero Missions (where you can can level up heroes and unlock customization options that modify their abilities).

'Overwatch 2' release date, trailers and everything we know so far (1)

Overwatch 2 release date

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Overwatch 2 will launch October 4 on Nintendo Switch, PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC. It will also be free-to play, though there is a caveat here. This is only the PvP portion of the game, and it will be early access at launch. PvE is scheduled to arrive at some point in 2023.

'Overwatch 2' release date, trailers and everything we know so far (2)

Overwatch 2 original release date, platforms and price

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Way back at BlizzCon 2019, Blizzard revealed that Overwatch 2 was still early in development and that no firm release date was planned. “I don’t know. I have no idea,” former game director Jeff Kaplan said at the reveal panel when asked when the game would arrive. “Like, just let us make it great, that’s what we care about more than anything. We don’t have a date in mind.”

Back then, it was largely assumed the game would land in 2021 – there was a playable vertical slice at BlizzCon 2019, after all – but recent events within Activision Blizzard eliminated any chance of the game launching soon.

In a February 2021 financial call Activision Blizzard CFO, Dennis Durkin, said the company’s outlook “does not include” Overwatch 2 releasing in 2021. Before the sexual harassment case kicked off, COO, Daniel Alegre noted: “The pipeline is progressing really well, and we anticipate that 2022 will be a great year for Blizzard.” This made it sound like the game wastargeting 2022.

Activision Blizzardannounced back at the start of November 2021 that it would be delaying both Overwatch 2andDiablo 4, with no new release dates set for either title as of writing. The news wasn’t directly shared to fans, but rather appeared in aninvestor document.

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The statement read: “As we have worked with new leadership inBlizzardand within the franchises themselves, particularly in certain key creative roles, it has become apparent that some of the Blizzard content planned for next year will benefit from more development time to reach its full potential.”

“While we are still planning to deliver a substantial amount of content from Blizzard next year, we are now planning for a later launch forOverwatch 2andDiablo 4than originally envisaged,” it adds.

“These are two of the most eagerly anticipated titles in the industry, and our teams have made great strides towards completion in recent quarters. But we believe giving the teams some extra time to complete production and continue growing their creative resources to support the titles after launch will ensure that these releases delight and engage their communities for many years into the future.”

At BlizzCon 2021, then-director of the game, Jeff Kaplan, noted that the game still had “a ways to go” before it would launch. In a ‘behind-the-scenes’ video (above), Kaplan said Overwatch 2 would still “need some more time till we can say it’s perfectly polished in the way that we want it”, adding that “in order to make a game great it takes time, energy, collaboration… Our goal is for Overwatch 2 to be the worthy successor to the first game, to be the next evolution and to be a true sequel.”

When it comes to platforms, we can expect the game to launch on the same consoles as its predecessor. This means Overwatch 2 will be available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, and (of course) PC. Unlike Overwatch, the sequel will also come to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S as a proper release, not just available via backwards compatibility.

The company has also confirmed that the development ofOverwatch 2for theNintendo Switchmaycome with “some compromises”.

It’s also worth mentioning that Blizzard is ‘exploring’ crossplay between platforms for Overwatch 2, but no formal announcements have been made.

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Will Overwatch 2 have loot boxes or a battle pass?

In terms of price, you can once again expect Overwatch 2 to be a premium title in many ways. It will be adopting a free-to-play live service model however, and with that comes seasonal battle passes. These will be available for purchase once each season goes live, and will grant access to a tiered selection of cosmetic items.

There is a free version of the battle pass too, though some of the rewards will be unavailable. You’ll still be able earn rewards as you play.

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Overwatch 2 trailers

Blizzard is good at the cinematic stuff, we already know that: a cursory look at any of the developer’s games that have launched in the past few decades will tell you that. The company is keeping the tradition alive for Overwatch 2 –all the trailers and cinematics from the game so far look like they could easily be taken from an animated Hollywood film.

In the first Overwatch 2 trailer (below), we saw the reformation of a band of heroes we know and love as they team up to battle the Omnic threat once again. Paris is being torn apart by the robotic menace, but Winston, Mei, Echo, Tracer, Brigitte, Mercy, Genji, and Reinhardt all come together to save the day in a heartwarming show of camaraderie.

The second trailer jumps across the world and lands in Rio de Janeiro, where we get to see some actual gameplay. This trailer focuses more on the revamped PvE elements of the upcoming hero shooter, and gives us a glimpse of how the title will actually play once we (finally) get our hands on it.

A more recent trailer gave us a look at Junker Queen, a brand new character being introduced in Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2 maps

Overwatch 2 will feature “more complex” maps than the original title, and we’ve already got a fairly good idea of what to expect from some of them. Here’s a quick rundown of the maps we know we’re getting whenever the title launches.

  • New York
  • Toronto
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Rome
  • Monte Carlo
  • India
  • Gothenburg

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Overwatch 2 new character changes

Several heroes ofActivision Blizzard‘s upcomingOverwatch 2 have received videos showing their new abilities and changes.

You can read more about these characters and their proposed changes at the link. So far, we’ve heard about:

  • Brigitte, whose shield bash is no longer able to stun opponents but will deal more damage as a result of the changes.
  • Sombra, who has been reworked to “give her more potential damage” at the cost of her crowd control utility.
  • Bastion, who will lose his self-heal ability and see big changes to his ultimate ability (instead of transforming into a tank, he will swap into a stationary artillery piece).

Overwatch 2 – 5v5 changes

During a two-hour PvP focused livestream (below), Overwatch’s new Game Director Aaron Keller guided viewers through the new experience, the biggest undoubtedly being that the sequel would be moving from a 6v6 to a 5v5 standard. Now, games will be played with two DPS characters, two supports but only one tank.

“We feel like this is the next step in the way that Overwatch ought to be played,” game director Aaron Keller said. “If you think about it, there is a lot going on in an Overwatch map. It is incredibly fast paced. We have always tried to make our combat easy to read and very understandable, and even with all of the work that we’ve put into that, sometimes it’s just hard to track what 11 other players are doing on the battlefield. Removing two of those simplifies everything, and it allows players to understand everything that’s happening around them, and to be able to make better choices.”

While many barrier heroes like Reinhardt, Winston and Orisa are designed as ‘main tanks’ and the first port of call for the front line, off-tanks like Zarya, Roadhog and D.VA are much more hybridised.

Changing to just one tank will make the idea of a ‘support tank’ less valuable. Teams will need a front-line and a presence that at least performs some of the jobs of the main tank. Mainly, creating and taking space. However, one thing to keep in mind that while the classic ‘off-tank’ might die, these characters won’t.

Every character in Overwatch now is making the jump to the sequel. In the presentation, it was clear that many of the tanks have seen a massive rework and buff to facilitate the loss of a whole player.

It’s a huge change, but one that entirely shakes up everything we understand about the current live game in one way or another. Its success will hinge on the details of execution. Right now, it’s impossible for anyone outside of the development team to know how this feels. Any reaction to how it will play is pure speculation.

In other gaming news, EA will bring women’s club football to its final instalment of the FIFA series when it releases FIFA 23 on September 30.

'Overwatch 2' release date, trailers and everything we know so far (2024)

FAQs

'Overwatch 2' release date, trailers and everything we know so far? ›

Overwatch 2 will launch October 4 on Nintendo Switch, PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC. It will also be free-to play, though there is a caveat here. This is only the PvP portion of the game, and it will be early access at launch. PvE is scheduled to arrive at some point in 2023.

When did Overwatch 2 fully release? ›

Overwatch 2
DeveloperBlizzard Entertainment Team 4
PublisherBlizzard Entertainment
Release dateOctober 4, 2022 (early access) August 10, 2023 (official release)
PlatformsNintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
3 more rows

What time is Overwatch 2 season 12 release? ›

Season 12 of Overwatch 2 began on August 20, and is set to run until October 15, meaning players are officially halfway through New Frontiers.

How old is Sigma in Overwatch 2? ›

All Overwatch 2 Heroes Official Ages and Birthdays
Hero NameReal NameAge
ReinhardtReinhardt Wilhelm63 years old
RoadhogMako Rutledge50 years old
SigmaSiebren de Kuiper64 years old
SojournVivian Chase51 years old
37 more rows
Aug 22, 2024

How old is Soldier 76? ›

Soldier: 76
Real NameJohn Francis "Jack" Morrison
BirthJanuary 27th
Age58 (Overwatch 2) 56 (Overwatch)
NationalityAmerican
16 more rows

Is Overwatch 1 still playable? ›

On October 3, 2022, the Overwatch servers were shut down in preparation for the release of Overwatch 2 the next day.

How old is Juno in Overwatch? ›

How Old Is Juno in Overwatch 2? Juno is said to be around 19 to 22 years old.

Who is getting the next mythic skin in Overwatch 2 season 12? ›

Everyone's favorite Reaper guy gets a new special skin, which is honestly one of the best in the game -- you can pick up Anubis Reaper in the Mythic shop as part of Season 12's Egyptian mythology theme.

Why is Overwatch 2 a 12? ›

The series has moderate violence and bad language so is rated 12+. Overwatch 2 is available on a range of gaming platforms such as Xbox, Nintendo Switch and Windows. Players are divided into two teams and there are different modes of play, such as 'deathmatch' where every player fights for themselves.

How old is DVA? ›

D.Va
Age21; Birthday: June 22nd
NationalityKorean
OccupationProfessional gamer (formerly) Mech pilot Actress
BaseMEKA Base, Busan, South Korea (formerly) Watchpoint: Gibraltar
15 more rows

What race is Genji? ›

Japanese

Who is the oldest Overwatch? ›

Among the Overwatch heroes, the youngest human hero is Illari(18) and the youngest non-human is Orisa(1). and the oldest hero is Sigma(64).

What year did Overwatch 1 shut down? ›

Blizzard shut down servers for the game on October 3, 2022.

Who is Timmy in Overwatch? ›

Story. Timmy is a huge fan of Overwatch, often commenting enthusiastically about the exploits. One day, after watching an introduction video of the organization along with his older brother, Brian, in the Overwatch museum, Timmy was excited after viewing it, while Brian would show his disdain.

When was Overwatch 2 season 3? ›

Overwatch 2 Season 3 is set to release on February 7, 2023, and will debut the Overwatch 2 Season 3 Battle Pass, including the Mythic Kiriko Amaterasu skin.

When did Overwatch 1 shut down? ›

After October 2, Overwatch 1 will be permanently replaced by its free-to-play sequel. With Overwatch 2's October 4 release drawing closer, Blizzard has announced that Overwatch 1 will conclude the same week as its sequel launches. Per Eurogamer, Blizzard's original hero shooter will end service for good on October 2.

Will Overwatch 2 replace the original? ›

Last week, Blizzard revealed in a Reddit AMA that when Overwatch 2 launches on October 4th, it will overwrite Overwatch prime, effectively ending the six-year-old game. “When OW2 launches on October 4th it will be a replacement for the current live service,” wrote game director Aaron Keller.

What year is Overwatch 2 set in? ›

The most likely of the three dates to be accurate, however, is 2077. That's because Overwatch launched in 2016, it's set about 60 years in the future, and Overwatch 2 is set one year after Overwatch. That makes 2077 the perfect year for Blizzard to have set Overwatch 2.

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