Blizzard mentioned that Overwatch 2 has been built as an always-online, always-evolving game and season 1 will launch alongside the game on October 4 and Season 2 following that up on December 6.
Season 1 will include six new heroes, Sojourn, Junker Queen, and a new support hero who hasn’t been announced yet. The initial launch of Overwatch 2 will also include six new maps, a brand new game mode (Push), more than 30 skins across all the heroes, and a brand new Mythic skin. Mythic skins are the tier above legendary skins. Of course, there will also be a battle pass as well.
The start of Season 2 will then bring a brand new tank hero, another new map, more than 30 skins, a new Mythic skin, and another fresh battle pass to rank up. A new season will then launch every 9 weeks throughout 2023, including more than 100 new skins, new modes, new maps, and additional heroes. Every other season will alternate between a new map and hero and season launches will be a big moment for the game rather than just small content refreshes, according to Blizzard.
In addition to this, new cosmetics like weapon charms and banners broaden the options. Lootboxes have also been ditched in favour of a shop and the rewards available through the battle pass.
These early details are brief, but we have a lot of time between now and launch so we will likely get a full debrief ahead of the game’s launch.
#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
Alongside the reveal of Overwatch 2’s plans after launch, Blizzard unveiled the full Overwatch 2 Junker Queen animated short titled “The Wastelander”. Just a few days ago, the Overwatch 2 release date was also revealed at the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase.
These plans definitely seem to suggest Blizzard will be fully committing to the sequel in a bigger way than they did with the original. And, it seems almost certain we won’t see an Overwatch 3, with Overwatch 2 now being the core of the future of the series.