Overwatch 2 will replace the existing game at launch

As already known, Overwatch 2 will replace the current game at launch. Essentially, current Overwatch owners will download a patch and the game will become Overwatch 2, with all the attendant multiplayer changes. For example, the game will be changed to a 5v5 format and various balance changes will be introduced. The promised PvE campaign mode is scheduled for release in 2023.

The clarification came via a Reddit AMA. In a post from Overwatch 2 Game Director Aaron Keller, he explained that the game’s launch on October 4 marks the beginning of Early Access. He added, “We’re using the term Early Access to indicate that this is just the beginning of a lot of new things coming into the game.” The plan to replace the original Overwatch also fits the new free-to-play -Model. Major content updates will appear seasonally every nine weeks, according to the roadmap Blizzard recently released. Season 1 includes Sojourn and Junker Queen and a new map. For more details on the game’s launch, check out GameSpot’s Everything We Know About Overwatch 2 guide and our interview with Aaron Keller.

All Overwatch 2 news is linked to allegations of sexual harassment and abuse and union efforts at developer and publisher Activision Blizzard. Microsoft recently agreed to recognize a union after acquiring Activision Blizzard. Meanwhile, however, shareholders voted to keep CEO Bobby Kotick on the board. Despite calls from many employees for him to step down, he appears to be staying until 2023.