How long was Overwatch 2 developed?
As a passionate Overwatch player and content creator, I‘ve been eagerly awaiting the launch of Overwatch 2 ever since it was first teased over 3 years ago at Blizzcon 2019. Now that it‘s finally out, let‘s analyze the long and winding developmental road that brought us to the October 4th, 2022 release date.
Blizzcon 2019: The Journey Begins
Overwatch 2‘s origins stem fromBlizzcon 2019 when Blizzard gave fans the first peek behind the curtain. They announced multiple Overwatch teams actively developing new PVP content, PVE missions, and major engine upgrades to support a fully-fledged sequel.
This marked the kickoff for Overwatch 2 development spanning over 3 years from prototype to launch.
Development Ramp Up (Late 2019 – Mid 2020)
After the announcement, Blizzard mentions the transition period through late 2019 as "extremely disruptive" for the teams. The vast majority of the original Overwatch 1 development crew shifted focus to laying the groundwork for the sequel.
They needed all hands on deck to establish new design frameworks, engine improvements, and gameplay initiatives to meet the community‘s high expectations.
To backfill the vacant roles, Blizzard prioritized aggressive hiring throughout 2020 to ramp up the number of developers working on Overwatch 2.
Pandemic Woes (2020 – 2021)
Like most gaming studios, 2020‘s COVID-19 pandemic delivered a massive blow to productivity and development velocity.
In an interview, director Jeff Kaplan notes the team struggled adjusting to remote work. Communication bandwidth decreased while coordination complexity jumped dramatically. These headwinds slowed existing initiatives and even shelved others altogether.
Despite the challenges, Blizzard states meaningful progress occurred between the shift to work-from-home and late 2021 like Ray Tracing implementation and ping-based matchmaking systems.
However, the setbacks forced Blizzard to delay their targeted late 2021 release into 2022. Disappointing for eager fans, but necessary for delivering a polished product.
The Home Stretch (Early 2022 – Release)
With the light at the end of the COVID tunnel in 2022, Blizzard hit the gas pedal. They raced towards their new October 4th target release date reveal during the June 16th Overwatch 2 media event.
Let‘s analyze the key improvements and new content additions driving the final months in the lead up to launch:
New Heroes
3 new heroes – Sojourn, Junker Queen, Kiriko – headline the hero roster expansion. Each brings unique mechanics enriching team composition possibilities.
Sojourn adds high skill cap railgun flicks while Junker Queen enables disruption and space control through bleeding, slowing, and isolating enemies . Meanwhile, Kiriko leverages swiftness and precision for surgical picks and clutch cleanses.
New Game Modes
Overwatch 2 introduces an all-new game mode with the asymmetric Push alongside several core gameplay revisions:
- 5v5 reduces reliance on barriers with 1 tank max
- New hero reworks to Doomfist, Orisa, Bastion
- Passive abilities supplying health regen and movement speed
Collectively, these freshen gameplay pace and feel compared to the predecessor‘s staples.
New Maps
6 sparkling new arena maps round out the locations housing all the action:
| Map Name | Location Theme |
| Circuit Royal | Monte Carlo |
| Colosseo | Italian Coast |
Ranging from the stunning Mediterranean coastline to the scorching Outback deserts, maps stay true to the series‘ vibrant and global locales.
Business Model Shift
In a surprise move, Blizzard pivots Overwatch 2 to a free-to-play model – a dramatic departure from the original‘s upfront $40-60 box cost.
After the rocky Warcraft 3: Reforged launch, I speculated Blizzard might test the F2P waters to realign with prevailing industry trends. This conversion could significantly broaden the player base through reducing friction for newcomers.
In exchange for the entry barrier reduction, locked heroes and other progression content incentivize in-game purchases and battle pass upgrades. It will prove an interesting case study for the publisher.
PVE Delayed
Alas, not all features make the cut. The much anticipated PVE content doesn‘t ship with launch.
In parallel with enhancing the competitive multiplayer suites, Blizzard built story-driven co-op missions pitting players against AI foes. While initial prototypes showed promise, the feature set proved too ambitious for the Overwatch 2 launch due to its scale and complexity.
But fear not – PVE gets pushed to post-release instead of disappearing altogether. The first season dubbed "Overwatch 2: Zero Hour" arrives in 2024.
What Does the Future Hold?
October 4th marked the conclusion of Overwatch 2‘s 3+ year journey from conception to launch. But Blizzard stresses "this is only the beginning" and promises regular seasonal updates going forward:
"Expect new heroes, new maps and modes, events, and more in regular updates planned for the live game."
If they follow the content release cadence of the original, we could see 3 to 4 new heroes per year plus several maps to keep things feeling fresh.
I‘d bet long requested tank and support candidates like Mauga, Junker Queen, and Fox Girlanchor the next hero drops to address queue time concerns. They built the lore groundwork for these fan favorites during Overwatch 2 development via animated shorts and comics.
PVE represents the other primary area primed for expansion in 2024. The character roster brims with personality perfectly suiting co-op adventures.
I‘d love to see dedicated mission chains fleshing out backstories for certain heroes like Genji finding inner peace through reconnecting with Zenyatta.
Or have Reinhardt lead the old Overwatch strike team of Ana, Torbjorn, and Jack Morrison on covert ops dismantling Talon bases. The possibilities are endless!
The Bottom Line
While a bumpy few years, Overwatch 2 making it over the finish line is a huge achievement given the pandemic obstacles. I applaud Jeff Kaplan, Aaron Keller and the entire dev team‘s perseverance and problem-solving skills adapting to remote work.
As an OW1 lifer myself, this sequel ushers in a breath of fresh air through gameplay innovations both big and small. The shift to 5v5, new heroes, reworked ability kits, engine upgrades, and free access collectively give this legendary series renewed vigor.
I can‘t wait to watch Overwatch 2 evolve over seasons to come. See you on the objective!
