More details are being revealed about Overwatch 2. In a Q&A with the community, Jeff Kaplan answered some questions about the PvE content that the shooter is set to receive.
What is the structure of Overwatch 2? In a post on the Blizzard Forum, the question arose regarding the weighting of Overwatch 2. It was already known that there would be PvE and PvP content.
However, players would like to know in detail which target audience the sequel to Overwatch is primarily aimed at.
Game Director Jeff Kaplan then responded and answered the question with: “Both.” He then elaborated a bit more on the PvE and PvP content of Overwatch 2.
No Singleplayer Campaign and High Replay Value
How is the PvE structured? According to Kaplan, the PvE in Overwatch 2 will mainly consist of two components:
- A story content
- The hero missions
The story is to be linear and told across various missions. However, it is not a classic campaign, as he emphasizes:
For the PvE, we are introducing a complete narrative arc in the form of story missions. Even though the story is told linearly, I hesitate to consider it a campaign because it is played in co-op and not in single-player.
The hero missions, on the other hand, are to have a high replay value and are reminiscent of the adventure mode in Diablo or world quests in WoW, even if the examples are not perfect, according to Kaplan.
How does the progression system work in Overwatch 2? With the expansion, the heroes for PvE will receive a level system that unlocks many talents gradually.
The focus is on the hero missions, which are supposed to be exciting and varied:
- There will be various maps distributed all over the world, including from Overwatch 1.
- There will be changing tasks and objectives on the maps.
- The enemies on the maps will also vary.
Through these variable maps and the progression system, PvE fans are expected to be engaged in the long term.
What about PvP? Kaplan also briefly addressed PvP. Here he confirmed some new content, although described less elaborately:
For PvP, we are introducing a new selection of competitive PvP maps and a new mode called “Push.”
Kaplan then refers to new heroes, which are naturally intended for both game modes.
Players Miss Important Information
Is the response sufficient for the players? Many players in the forum are pleased with Kaplan’s statement that both player types will be served. However, they are not entirely satisfied with the answer.
They miss many details and therefore ask follow-up questions:
- PuffyPony: “Can you give us an approximate estimate of how long playing the PvE campaign takes? If someone only plays PvP, how much of Overwatch 2 will they miss?”
- PunkySpotato: “What does high replay value mean? Is it just about leveling, or are there also new challenges and enemies?”
- Kosaba11: “When you say co-op missions, does that mean we have to play with strangers if we don’t have friends in Overwatch?”
- Troll: “Is there any content for solo players at all?”
These questions show that the current information about Overwatch 2 is still far from sufficient. So far, none of the follow-up questions have been commented on by Kaplan.
When will Overwatch 2 be released? In line with the missing information, there is also no release date for the expansion yet. There is much speculation about it, but it seems that a release before the end of the current season is unlikely. This season is expected to run until August/September 2020.
However, some fans hope that the release will take place on the anniversary, May 24, 2020. But the still sparse information and lack of marketing make the date increasingly unlikely.
A leak from PlayStation Brazil suggests a release at the end of 2020. However, it is also possible that Overwatch 2 will only be released next year.
