Overwatch 2 beta announced, puts PvE on the sidelines

This story about ending radio silence, boiled down, in 1:16 minutes.

What’s the fuss?

After 2 years of no announcements, fans are finally getting some news on what they can expect from a questionable sequel to a beloved shooter game.

The situation

For better or for worse, Overwatch has remained a popular competitive shooter since its launch in 2016.

• The game boasted over 60 million players with a healthy esports scene at its peak, however enthusiasm has since faltered.
• Players love the game for its fast-paced gameplay and roster of diverse characters hailing from different regions.

A sequel to Overwatch was announced back in November 2019, and fans have heard little news about it since…

• … until now, as the developer announced that the PvP (player vs. player) mode of Overwatch 2 will enter into an open beta in April of this year.
• In order to get the competitive game mode out to fans sooner, the developer has stated that the PvE (player vs. environment) cooperative portion of the game will release later than its PvP counterpart.

Boiling it down

Many Overwatch fans have questioned the point of a sequel, seeing Overwatch 2 as somewhat of a cash grab.

• Overwatch has declined in players and esports viewers due to its lack of new content.
• Although Overwatch 2 is clearly a play to renew interest, players are wondering why new content can’t just be added to the existing game instead of having to pay for another game.

Gamers play Overwatch to compete against others, but the developers shouldn’t ignore the many who still enjoy the game’s limited time cooperative PvE modes for too long.

• Pushing their new cooperative story mode into the limelight is likely a play to expand Overwatch’s value proposition to non-competitive focused players who may be intimidated by the game’s current competitive nature.

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