Overwatch is dead. Long live Overwatch 2.
Blizzard Entertainment's team-based shooter is leveling up to offer newbies and veterans of the game a lot of new and exciting things, and the good news is that the wait for Overwatch 2 won't be very long now.
Here's what you need to know about Blizzard's "sequel" to its popular team-based shooter game.
Overwatch 2 Must-Know Details
Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play 5v5 team-based shooter that can be more accurately described as an upgrade of the original 2016 game, as it won't retain some of the original's content aside from the original heroes, per Polygon.
As such, most (if not all) of the maps from the original game can no longer be accessed unless Blizzard adds them back in a future update, which seems unlikely as the game modes they support are not offered in the sequel.
That's not the only difference the sequel has from its predecessor. As previously mentioned, Overwatch 2 is a 5v5 team-based shooter, while the original 2016 game was a 6v6 team-based shooter.
The loss of another player means that the game's heroes will be tougher than before, which is a good thing considering the new gameplay mechanics Overwatch 2 comes with.
Eurogamer mentioned that because of having one less player to work it, and due to the game's new role queues, the tank meta that previously dominated the original game is no longer viable.
Most tank heroes had their abilities nerfed or reworked to fit the game's restrictions, with Reinhardt's shield becoming less sturdy but more portable and Zarya's self and projected shields dissipating quicker but is faster to replenish and re-apply.
Additionally, the lack of a sixth player means that there is now a smaller margin of error for both teams, as they need to position themselves more properly to chain their abilities and ultimates better.
However, this meant that they need to be more capable heroes on their own, which turned Overwatch 2 into an esports game similar to Rainbow Six Siege and PUBG.
Fortunately, the game comes with PvE missions that make the new self-sustaining heroes much more rewarding.
But to unlock the game's new heroes, as well as all of the originals, players will either have to play their way to unlock new heroes or pay a fee to get them immediately.
The same is true for the original heroes. Blizzard announced in late September that new players would have to complete 100 matches to unlock all of the original heroes from Overwatch.
Blizzard explained that it saw "consistent feedback" from new players that they felt overwhelmed by the numerous heroes in the first Overwatch game. As such, the company locked them away through its new First Time User Experience system (FTUE), which gives new players a limited set of heroes and game modes to get used to.
This requirement means that new players will need to play at least 2,500 minutes to unlock every original Overwatch character, excluding the time needed to acquire everything during the FTUE's first phase, as a match usually lasts around 15 to 25 minutes, per Rankiing.
Thankfully, veterans of the original game will not have to play their way into unlocking every single original hero.
Aside from new heroes and reworked/nerfed abilities, Overwatch 2 also feature new game modes like Push, Assault, Control, and Escort, and six new maps, such as New York City, Monte Carlo, Rome, and India, per Sirus Gaming and Dot eSports.
How To Get The Game
Forbes mentioned in its article that Overwatch 2 can be pre-installed by veteran Overwatch players and newbies who bought the Overwatch 2 Watchpoint Pack. Those who didn't will have to wait for the game's launch to install the game.
However, players may need a phone number that isn't from a pre-paid SIM or VOIP as Blizzard is requiring players to register their non-pre-paid or non-VOIP number to enter the game.
This requirement could be Blizzard's way of preventing players from creating "smurf" accounts, which are normally used by experienced and veteran players to play with inexperienced players.
Veteran players and newbies that bought the Overwatch 2 Watchpoint Pack can pre-install the game by either going to Battle.net launcher's Overwatch page to download the game manually or have the launcher download the game automatically if automatic updates are enabled.
New players are advised to create a Battle.net account before doing any of the steps discussed above.
Overwatch 2 will become available in the US by 3 PM EDT or 12 PM PDT, depending on your timezone.
