Overwatch 2 is set to release on 4 October and it will completely replace the first game, which has been known for a while. Blizzard has now disclosed that the transition won’t happen immediately; Overwatch will be killed off before Overwatch 2 goes live. Before 27 hours of the launch of Overwatch 2, the company will shut down the servers.
Overwatch commercial lead and VP Jon Spector said, “Basically, 2 October, Overwatch 1 has its last day. We’re down for 27 hours to give our team the ability to update all the servers to make sure that the backend supporting the launch of Overwatch 2 is ready to go, and then players can come in on 4 October. And if they already have Overwatch 1, they’ll get Overwatch 2 as basically an update from a system’s perspective. You’ll see, update the game to Overwatch 2 as an option on your PC or console. If you’re a new player, you’ll see on 4 October the ability to come in and download and play Overwatch 2 for free.”
Massive changes will be made to the franchise with Overwatch 2, including a switch from 6v6 to 5v5, an upgraded engine, new designs for all characters, some hero overhauls, significant balancing adjustments, a free-to-play business model, and more. New core game mode, heroes, and maps will all be included. In Overwatch 2, Blizzard has now introduced Kiriko, the first new support character.
