Though Diablo 4 was arguably more anticipated, Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch 2 has been garnering the most questions since its BlizzCon reveal. Much of this is due to the very nature of the “sequel” – players of the first game will have access to all of the heroes, maps and modes. Essentially, Overwatch 2 functions as massive update to the current game, adding PvE story missions to the mix.
Speaking to The Washington Post, director Jeff Kaplan said Overwatch 2 isn’t “as controversial as it sounds” and that it couldn’t be compared to DLC. “I play a lot of games. I can’t think of a single DLC or expansion of this magnitude.” Kaplan also insisted that “[It will be] a complete story experience like you would expect from any AAA blockbuster game.”
Both comments are interesting when you consider that Path of Exile 2, recently announced by Grinding Gear Games, add a new seven act campaign, 19 new Ascendancies and much more for free. There are also all the expansions that World of Warcraft has received over the years. Is Overwatch 2 really that much bigger in comparison?
As for the story part, Kaplan hasn’t laid out exactly how long it will be. A triple-A blockbuster can range from six hours to complete Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s campaign to 20 hours for completing God of War on PS4. While a straight figure wasn’t provided, Kaplan believes that PvE component will be a strong enough incentive.
“There are so many people who are deeply engaged with our characters because we’ve put these heroes at the forefront. They would love to engage with the characters in a way that is a little bit less high pressure to them. So we felt like, you know, if we could deliver one really massive feature to our fans, it would be to blow out the co-operative side of the game.”
Overwatch 2 is currently in development for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. Kaplan earlier stated that he has “no idea” when the sequel is coming out so prepare to wait.