Speaking with GameSpot, director Aaron Keller (who took over the role following the departure of Jeff Kaplan) couldn’t confirm or deny whether or not Overwatch 2 will follow other examples and incorporate a Battle Pass. Instead, he chose to explain Blizzard’s own values, which affect the design process, and stated that the team is aiming to make sure there is a constant string of updates.
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Unlike titles such as Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty: Warzone, Overwatch doesn’t have structured seasons. New content always came out whenever it was ready, whether it be an additional character or a new event. While it does feature common elements like loot boxes and microtransactions, things like skins needed to be unlocked through completing challenges, with some also only being available for a limited time. This is similar to how Battle Passes operate except players didn’t need to pay additional money to access the challenges, with the game making its money through game sales and the microtransactions.
Judging by Keller’s comments, it sounds like Overwatch 2 could follow a similar pattern, except perhaps updates will be more regular to keep player engagement high. When asked what he thinks needs to be done to maintain long-term interest, he said:
There is still a lot more that fans are in the dark about regarding Overwatch 2. Despite being announced back in 2019 with both a cinematic story trailer and a gameplay trailer, there have been very few updates about it, with the most pressing one being a release date. Considering how little of a presence it had at this year’s BlizzCon, there are suspicions that, at the very least, it won’t be releasing this year.
What is known is that it will feature all-new PvE co-op modes, including a story-based mission mode. The first game lacks anything resembling a single-player campaign, so the sequel will finally be fleshing out the world and characters in-game rather than through other media. It will also run concurrently with the first Overwatch, allowing players for both games to interact and play with/against each other.
Overwatch 2 is in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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Source: GameSpot
