With the release of Overwatch 2 in October, the first Overwatch will be a thing of the past. Developer Blizzard has made it clear in a developer AMA on Reddit that it plans to end Overwatch 1 following the release of Overwatch 2. Game director Aaron Keller said that with the release of his game on October 4, it will replace the existing live service.
So, Overwatch 2 will completely replace the first game. The second game will bring major balance changes, new maps, transition from 6v6 game mode to 5v5 games and many other changes while also being the only way to play the game.
It was also revealed on this Reddit AMA what Overwatch 1 content that will not initially be in Overwatch 2 will be. System designer Gavin Winter said maps like Temple of Anubis and Hanamura will be available in custom games, but won’t be included in other mods initially.
Winter said he has some ideas about potentially turning these maps into new game modes, but according to his current plans, this potential will only become reality in the distant future.
At another point in the AMA, Keller also explained why Overwatch 2 will launch with only three new heroes (named Sojourn and Junker Queen, two of which were already introduced in the Overwatch 2 beta), explaining that developer resources were initially divided between Overwatch 2’s PvE and PvP components, but He said that while the development of cooperative game content has slowed, the competitive multiplayer side has also been affected. Keller stressed that they don’t have a treasure trove of completed heroes and other content they keep secret for future seasons.
However, as seen in the future plans of Overwatch 2, more heroes will be playable in the future, and Blizzard aims to add a new hero with each seasonal update…