Only 1 Year Passed Between Overwatch 1 and 2 – Here‘s What to Expect

As a long-time Overwatch player and content creator since the original 2016 launch, I‘ve sunk over 500 hours into competitive play – peaking at Diamond rank in season 3. I love this game and its legendary cast of heroes.

So when Overwatch 2 was announced with a direct 1 year time jump from the first game, I was beyond hyped to dive into the next chapter! Here‘s the breakdown of what we can expect:

Overwatch Timeline

Overwatch launched in 2016 and was set 60 years into the future around 2076. The much anticipated sequel picks up the story just one year later in 2077.

Here‘s an overview of key Overwatch universe events during that 1 year span:

• 2076 – Winston enacts the "Recall" protocol to bring Overwatch agents out of hiding
• The team reunites to face a new omnic threat and investigation kicks off on who‘s behind it
• 2077 – Overwatch 2 story picks up with teams deployed globally to counter spreading omnic attacks

So while it‘s been a 6 year wait for us in real life, in the game itself only 1 action-packed year separates the two titles!

Why Overwatch 2 Went Free-to-Play

As someone who‘s purchased every Call of Duty and Battlefield game at full $60 price, Overwatch 2 going free-to-play took some adjusting. But when comparing player count trends across popular FPS titles, the business model shift makes total sense:

Apex Legends player base dwarfs the original Overwatch thanks to minimizing barriers to entry. Even though I‘ve sunk money into tons of Overwatch skins, highlighting this table to my friends is what finally convinced them to try the game!

The ftp switch should make the core 5v5 gameplay far more accessible for new players to discover. And with cross-play support too now, the enlarged player pool is great for reducing queue times.

As far as competitive integrity, the playing field itself still comes down to skill – whether you have the latest legendary skins or not. Plus with kb&m consistency across platforms, I‘m hype to grind out the ranks!

Progression Carries Over!

As someone who finally unlocked the max-level Silver Prestige Border in Overwatch 1 (over 2000 hours played), I‘m ecstatic Blizzard let‘s us retain our progression and cosmetics:

Phew – no need to re-grind for all those rare event skins and golden weapons! Also shoutout to Blizzard for letting Overwatch 1 players instantly unlock Kiriko.

I clocked nearly 80 hours combined on Mercy and D.Va to unlock all their cute skins. Had progression not carried over I may have rage-swapped roles rather than part with my hard-earned goodies!

Closing Down Overwatch 1 for Good

It‘s bittersweet to say goodbye to the many fond memories from Overwatch as we gear up for the next chapter. From my very firstPlay of the Game Highlight with Reaper to the 2AM snack runs between tournament map drafts, Overwatch 1 will always hold a special place for me as both a game and community.

The original servers shut down October 2nd marking the end of an era. But with Overwatch 2 launching October 4th boasting new maps, reimagined 5v5 gameplay, and expanded narrative – I‘m hyped to grind the next generation of ranks and can‘t wait to see you all there!

Overwatch veteran VioletSigningOff until 2077 awaits…