The last thing I expected Blizzard to do was to change the name of Overwatch 2 back to just “Overwatch” four years after it came out. But as announced during the recent Spotlight video, that is exactly what Blizzard’s doing. Most of the sequel’s life has been about earning that 2, so why change it now?
The reason, as Blizzard explained to PC Gamer and other press attending an event at its offices in Irvine last week, is all about the development team’s confidence in Overwatch’s future.
Starting next week, Overwatch is going to look a lot different—literally, with a new UI, five new heroes, and the kick off of a whole new storyline. Its 21st season—coming February 10—will instead be known as season 1 of The Reign of Talon, a year-long narrative that will be told through in-game events, cinematics, short stories, and comics. It’s a season that game director Aaron Keller calls “the biggest launch we’ve ever had in Overwatch’s history.”
“Now, it’s actually not up to me or anyone here to decide whether we’ve achieved that or not, but that was really our internal goal, to feel like we could position this game and present it as the best version of Overwatch that has ever been, and that’s our goal,” he said.
Both Keller and Blizzard president Johanna Faries described this new initiative as a commitment to Overwatch as a “forever game,” not something that will be replaced by a sequel down the line (but might include other “experiences” like a mobile game).
“What we hope this conveys to people is our path forward, which are these really big annual moments that almost feel like expansions,” Keller said. “Dropping the 2 is our way of conveying to players that Overwatch isn’t something that you’re supposed to move on from. We want to gain players’ confidence. We want them to have trust in the game, in the team behind it, in the company that’s supporting it, so that they can look forward to continue playing this game that’s always improving for years to come.”
If this was the biggest announcement out of the Spotlight presentation, I’d be way more skeptical of what this will actually mean for Overwatch. But not only is season 1 packed with creative new heroes (Jetpack Cat!), skins, and balance changes, the rest of the year looks promising too. New hero releases every season and an evolving storyline that will expand the scope of the world and its characters are the kind of things I dreamed about in 2016 when the game was bursting with potential. And now it’s actually happening.
Nobody at Blizzard would ever say it, but I have to wonder if Marvel Rivals’ explosive success sparked any part of this. The people yearn for a hero shooter willing to loosen up a little and break some rules for the fun of it. When I look at what’s in store for Overwatch, I see a shift in focus away from the narrow esports-ification of the hero shooter to a concerted effort to breathe life back to the parts of the game that people fell in love with in 2016 and still do to this day. The vibe from all the Overwatch developers on campus last week was pure excitement for how many doors this new approach opens. If they can pull it off, Overwatch might actually be finally and truly back.
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