Gamers are asking: Will Overwatch 2 be free? At launch, Overwatch 2 will completely replace Overwatch. Director of Overwatch 2 Aaron Keller stated during a Reddit AMA that the upcoming Overwatch sequel will take the place of the original live service when it releases in October.
“When OW2 launches on Oct 4th it will be a replacement for the current Live Service,” he said.
In other words, after the new Overwatch is released, the older version will no longer be playable. Instead, Overwatch 2 will be recommended to gamers who attempt to play it. This concept is being pursued by Blizzard in an effort to maintain a cohesive playerbase.
If you have a beta key and can’t connect to the game don’t forget to check out our gudie showing how to fix Overwatch 2 beta login error.
Will Overwatch 2 be free?
Players of Overwatch and Overwatch 2 would be able to play together in the same game modes, according to Blizzard’s original announcement of the sequel back in August of last year.
Initially, Overwatch gamers were able to use the fresh Overwatch 2 maps and new heroes. It was a “shared multiplayer environment where no one gets left behind,” according to the game’s director at the time, Jeff Kaplan. In other words, both games would have allowed for multiplayer PvP.
Currently, it appears that Overwatch will be left behind. In essence, Overwatch will transition into Overwatch 2, which was previously intended to keep existing heritage content while introducing new maps and systems. This transfer should be simple given that Overwatch 2 will be a free-to-play title and no gamers will have to make any out-of-pocket payments.
However, given that Overwatch 2 uses a 5v5 model, this change makes it appear as though 6v6 Overwatch is a thing of the past. In fact, it’s likely that the switch from 6v6 to 5v5 is what caused the incompatibility between the two game types.
“We’re using the term Early Access to indicate that this is just the start of many new things coming to the game. We’re launching with new heroes, maps, and features, but there are even more of these coming seasonally – every 9 weeks,” said Aaron Keller, Overwatch 2’s director, on Reddit.
We recently released a roadmap detailing some of this content, with a new hero coming in Seasons 1 and 2, and a new map in Season 2. Additionally, 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,” he added.
Overwatch 2 has been promoted by its creators for years as an improved, more audacious expansion to a cherished base game. That promise now appears more realistic than ever following a significant reveal event.
Overwatch 2 will join the hordes of first-person shooters that use the popular, simple-to-enter business model when it opens in early access on October 4 with the creators’ announcement that it would have a battle pass and an in-game shop.
Loot boxes are supposedly a thing of the past in Overwatch 2. As more battle passes become available, a new battle pass will replace it, allowing players to earn goodies like skins, emotes, and more. Making the game free to play is made possible by the developers’ transition to the battle pass business model.
Will Overwatch 2 be free? Yes, but there will be a new battle pass every nine weeks, albeit the name has not yet been decided. Seasons are where these combat passages are contained. Beginning on Oct. 4 for the first, Dec. 6 for the second, and then every nine weeks after that. New heroes, new maps, and other changes will come with each season.
Will Overwatch 2 be PvE? All details are covered in our article!
