The original Overwatch will be replaced when Overwatch 2 launches on October 4th, according to a Reddit AMA with developers. The AMA also said Overwatch 2 will carry over progress and cosmetics from the first game. Players will also keep any in-game currency they have, but a battle pass system will be replacing loot boxes.
According to game director Aaron Keller, Overwatch 2 will be a “replacement for the current Live Service.” It’s a change to earlier info on the release. In the first announcement in 2019, then-director Jeff Kaplan said the two games would have a “shared multiplayer environment.” The replacement means that we might lose the Assault game mode and 6v6 for good.
The AMA came a few days after the reveal event, where devs dropped a post-release roadmap. The Overwatch 2 release will initially be “early access”. According to the AMA, this is just to indicate the new things coming in the early days. While the date is still a good way off, it seems there’s a lot in store for the early seasons.
#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
Additionally, devs took the chance to answer other questions on the release. Details included MMR not being reset and more battle pass info. They also reaffirmed the game being free-to-play and PvE coming in 2023.
Overwatch 2 releases to early access on October 4th for PC, XBOX, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. The beta goes live today (June 28th) on all platforms except Switch.
