The Overwatch 2 reveal stream on Thursday confirmed a set roadmap for the start of 2022 and 2023, including when heroes and maps will arrive after the game’s Oct. 4 launch.
As for the upcoming second beta, the stream confirmed that Rio de Janeiro is the new PvP map and showcased both Junker Queen’s cinematic and tank abilities. While most of the information expanded on what fans already knew, the Overwatch team clarified a lot of lingering questions.
#Overwatch2 arrives October 4, ushering in a new era for the franchise as a free-to-play live service game!
Learn more about the game and our commitment to deliver frequent seasonal content updates that expand the game to ensure there’s always something new to play. pic.twitter.com/tAzPPtvcP0
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) June 16, 2022
Roadmap sets seasons every nine weeks
The new seasons revealed during the stream are confirmed nine weeks long, To start, the early access launch of the game will include three new heroes, two of which include Sojourn and Junker Queen. The third new hero is yet to be confirmed, but the fox spirit support hero that’s been shown throughout the week is the most likely culprit.
Along for the ride with those three heroes at launch are six new maps. These include the Push maps Colosseo and New Queen Street, as well as Midtown and Circuit Royal. As for the final two maps, Rio de Janeiro and a Portugal map seem to the be the final two planned for launch. The game will also launch with 30+ new skins, a new battle pass and the new game mode, Push.
As for the mythic skin, the team confirmed that they will be a rarity above legendary, unique and customizable. The first mythic skin arrives at launch, with more coming through the seasons.
While most future seasons have no confirmed changes, the second season, starting on Dec. 4, will introduce a new tank hero and map alongside the cosmetic content. Afterward, the team stated a “new hero every other season” plan, so that fans will have to wait, at most, 18 weeks until a new hero launches. This ties into the free-to-play live service game plan, making sure fans don’t wait ages for new content in Overwatch 2.
One more addition to the game is the confirmation of cross-progression, so players can stay on the same account no matter their console of choice.
PvE coming in 2023
Along with all the PvP news, the PvE section is going live in 2023. Using both old and new maps, the stream showed new sections of PvE play with NPCs and a hint of the storyline focused on linking the old and new Overwatch members.
Junker Queen gets her full reveal
Junker Queen’s abilities are public knowledge now and all shown on the stream. From her whirlwind sprint that also prevents healing on hit to her throwing knife with magnetic recall, there’s a lot to take in.
The overall goals from the team on her design was an aggressive tank, someone to rush into fights. Her kit focuses on her shotgun, her axe and her knife, making her like a Roadhog who can dive on opponents. She is good at close range but needs to cut that distance to get true value.
Instead of having a self-heal like Roadhog, she can prevent healing from others. It’s hard to see how the kit plays just from the trailer, but the June 28 beta will put her into fans’ hands for the first time.
