First details emerge on ‘story-focused’ Overwatch 2

The first details of Blizzard’s story and narrative focused Overwatch 2 have appeared online, ahead of an expected reveal at BlizzCon.

According to documents obtained by ESPN, Overwatch 2 will feature new game modes, maps, heroes and a new focus on story and narrative elements via PvE missions.

Meanwhile, images have appeared online claiming to show Overwatch 2’s new Hero talents and new character Sojourn.

A third report via a proven Overwatch leaker claims the original Overwatch will go free-to-play.

“Hero talents” and “in-game items,” will feature in the sequel’s PvE missions, ESPN reports. BlizzCon will showcase one four-player story experience set in Rio de Janeiro, it said.

In the PvP space, Overwatch 2 is said to feature a new mode called Push, which will be showcased via a demo set in Toronto.

Finally, Blizzard is expected to reveal Echo as Overwatch’s 32nd hero. Blizzard first showed off Echo at BlizzCon last year, and game director Jeff Kaplan said they had “big plans for her.” [UPDATE: ESPN has since retracted this claim]

Blizzard’s annual showcase, BlizzCon, is set to take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in California on November 1 and 2.

Blizzard president J. Allen Brack has previously said the studio was looking into the possibility of expanding the Overwatch universe with new games, while noting that the company has more titles in development that at any point in its near 30-year history.

“If we think about the Overwatch IP for example, we think about the Overwatch IP as being extremely large and extremely all-encompassing,” he said.

“Overwatch, the game people experience today, is just being a very small part of what that IP could be.”

According to an earlier report, Blizzard had cancelled a StarCraft shooter in order to invest more resources in other projects, namely Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4. Blizzard is also expected to announce Diablo 4 at BlizzCon.

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