Overwatch 2: Will it live up to the original?
From 2016 to 2022 Overwatch came to be one of the most popular online multiplayer video games, but will Overwatch 2 continue to hold that spot?
On November 1st, 2019, Blizzard Entertainment announced a sequel to their award-winning first-person shooter game, Overwatch. In the beginning, fans were ecstatic to hear that Blizzard was creating a second edition to their favorite game, but as time went on, the yet-to-be-released game started to divide the player base. Some were happy while others were doubtful. The game was suspected to come out in late 2021, but Blizzard kept pushing the release date further back. It is now expected to be playable since October 4th, 2022.
Overwatch 1 had its ups and downs throughout the years. Blizzard had their hands full when it came to dealing with hackers, unbalanced characters, and players having multiple accounts. It was far from perfect, but it was a game that really made its mark on the gaming industry. For the most part, the fan base has continued to stay loyal and supportive, ever since Overwatch’s initial release back in 2016. Overwatch 1 gave so many people new opportunities, they especially helped grow the esports industry. The Overwatch League (Overwatch’s professional esports league) brought in millions of viewers and they even streamed their matches on leading TV channels such as ESP, ABC, and Disney XD.
The first Overwatch 2 playable beta came out and was available to the public from April 25th, 2022 to May 17th, 2022, and fans were disappointed, to say the least. Ewan Moore from Gaming Bible says “the general consensus so far seems to be that Overwatch 2 simply isn’t the full-blooded sequel to the juggernaut 2016 game fans have waited so long for” A large number of fans think that Overwatch 2 will just feel like an updated version of the first. Some have been calling it “Overwatch 1.5”, based on the lack of new content that the game has to offer. Once it’s released, there’s no going back to the original, as Blizzard shut down the Overwatch 1 servers on October 3rd, the day before Overwatch 2 was released. The only thing the Overwatch community can do now is hope that the finished game meets their expectations.
No matter what the game is like, there will always be fans who love it and fans who hate it. The game developers will continue to add new content and game patches, so no matter what, there will always be something to look forward to. The dedicated fans just have to stay positive and enjoy the brand-new Overwatch 2.
