What can we expect in Overwatch this year? We have created a list of the plans that Blizzard has already revealed: The Overwatch roadmap.
Overwatch has been running smoothly for a good month now. However, many fans are wondering what news and adjustments will come to players in the coming months. The colleagues from pcgamesn.com have compiled all developer statements and organized them into a timeline. We have translated the most important points for you.
This Month – Golden Weapons and the Ranked System
Since Blizzard has not yet made any new announcements, it is assumed that the ranked play system will still be released in June along with the golden weapons. The “typical” date would be the upcoming Wednesday, June 29. Typically, Blizzard tackles major patches during maintenance on Wednesday mornings.
Changes in “Summer” – Skins, Comeback Bonus, Better Play of the Game
Further innovations are expected to come to players in the summer. This includes a large number of new skins and other cosmetic customization options. Solo players, in particular, will be pleased with the change to the “Comeback Bonus” – those who join a game that is already in progress will no longer have to fear seeing a defeat in their statistics.
The “Play of the Game” is also set to be further improved. Blizzard is exploring ways to make it even more cinematic and better showcase supports, such as a Zarya’s ultimate setup.
In addition, there are numerous small points that could potentially come. This includes support for 21:9 screens and the ongoing fight against cheaters and hackers. In “Quick Play,” it should also be possible to see who among the enemies (and allies) signed up as a group.
And then there is the buff for the hero D.Va, which is not yet fully developed. Blizzard is currently exploring different solutions for this.
Rest of the Year – New Cinematics, New Heroes, New Maps
For the rest of the year, “bigger” innovations are on the horizon. New heroes and maps are expected to be released in 2016. There are no specific statements regarding these two aspects yet, although early hints point to “Sombra” as a new hero – a new support sniper.
Since the animated shorts of Overwatch were very popular, Blizzard has already announced that there will be a second “season” of these films. However, it is not yet known whether these will feature only new heroes or also existing characters.
Many players wished for an opportunity to gift Overwatch to their friends through the Battle.net shop. Kaplan found this request “interesting,” and since it is already possible for many other items, it seems just a matter of time before players can share Overwatch with friends.
Lastly, the Overwatch team hopes to make changes to the “Custom Game,” that is, the matches created by players. They want to eventually allow experience points to be distributed in these rounds, as large groups (7 players or more) currently prefer to play in 2 separate rounds to avoid missing out on experience.
Please keep in mind that all these points are not set in stone and could still change. It is a preliminary roadmap for Overwatch in 2016. It is quite possible that we will see new maps and heroes as early as summer – these are all just rough dates that Blizzard is aiming for. Promises are rarely made anymore, as quality is to be ensured.
To be ready for the Ranked System, check out our various game guides that we have prepared for you:
