News Summary

• Messaging around it was confusing (we were meant to get a sequel that shared a multiplayer environment with the original game, instead the original game was shut down), expectations weren’t met (Overwatch 2 launched in quite a messy state), and the battle pass monetization shift frustrated long-time fans (self-explanatory)..
• The initial pitch for Overwatch 2 at Blizzcon 2019 was that it would bring story, cooperative elements, and PvE gameplay as a pillar of the game, all while allowing original Overwatch players to keep playing competitively alongside Overwatch 2 players in a shared multiplayer environment..
• The game launched with three new heroes at the end of 2022, and it has added three new ones in the past year..
• The company has put out some banger animated work this year in the form of the Genesis anime and the Mauga introductory short.Each time Blizzard gives us small glimpses into what an Overwatch animated series would look like I get frustrated because it should have existed years ago..
• That has to say something about the game, right?So, let’s look back at the year in Overwatch 2, from new heroes to old classics, and all the Pride parade in between..
• But 2023 was the first full year of Overwatch 2 support, content, and gameplay, and Blizzard has made some major strides.At times, it felt like a two-steps-forward, one-step-back dance—we got some great crossovers, but the cosmetics were expensive, and PvE was gutted, but good, but expensive..