So far, it seems like that wasn’t the case… has Activision Blizzard changed direction to offer a worse product than the previous one?

Last week it was announced that Overwatch 2 would launch in October, and now it’s a foregone conclusion that the sequel will take the place of the first part. Kotaku reported on the AMA (Ask Me Anything) event on Reddit, where several developers answered questions. One of them was director Aaron Keller, who explained the fate of Overwatch (which beat out Gearbox’s Battleborn, not to mention Cliff Bleszinski’s, aka CliffyB’s Lawbreakers…), which was released in 2016.

Keller said, “…larger pieces of the game that have always been a part of the vision for OW2 will be released to the game as part of the live service, including the launch of the PvE Campaign next year. When Overwatch 2 launches on October 4, it will be a replacement for the current Live Service.” This description means the first Overwatch will cease to exist, and it will be mandatory to play the sequel.

Kotaku pointed out that former director, Jeff Kaplan, has said otherwise. Kaplan noted that after the release of Overwatch 2, both games would have a shared multiplayer environment where no player would be left behind. He also mentioned on the site that our progression from the first part of Overwatch would come with us into Overwatch 2. But Kaplan’s claim is valid primarily, yet there’s been no word so far that Overwatch 1 is effectively ending in the recycle bin! And those who paid may not be happy that the sequel is now free.

Overwatch 2 will be released in early access on October 4 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. It means Blizzard’s hero shooter will be available on all home platforms. Only the iOS/Android pair will be left out.

Source: Gamesindustry