Overwatch 2 has been formally announced but the structure and the connection between it and its predecessor are a bit unorthodox. This confused players about what they might miss out if they don't purchase the sequel so here is our take on it.
Overwatch fans have seen probably the most dubious announcement for the sequel of their game. According to Blizzard, both Overwatch games will share the same player pool but those who don't purchase Overwatch 2 will still miss out on some features. There are different groups of people who may or may not actually need to purchase the sequel so here is our breakdown on each of them.
After some consideration, we figured there would be three major groups of Overwatch players who may be on the fence:
- Players who enjoy the lore of Overwatch
- Players who enjoy seasonal modes versus waves of enemies
- Players who play Overwatch for PvP and don't care about story
Group 1: Overwatch lore enthusiasts
If you belong in this group, you have read about the exploits of Overwatch, their Talon adversaries and the preceding war that was responsible for Bastion's PTSD in his cinematic short. You enjoy finding more knowledge and figuring out the intricacies that tie the heroes of Overwatch and the villains of Talon.
Considering Blizzard stated Overwatch 2 will focus on expanding story through PvE missions, the prospect of the new game might be appealing to you. In order to decide whether you actually want to buy the sequel, you should ask yourself whether the enjoyment came from learning about Overwatch lore through reading wiki entries and watching cinematics or through mowing through waves of enemies in the PvE modes.
Did Reyes and McCree's exchanges during Retribution feel good enough to justify spending money on more content like that or do you get enough of it through watching videos? Since watching videos doesn't require a purchase, the answer to this question should lead on whether you should buy the game.
Overwatch 2 new map gallery - Toronto, Gothenburg and Monte Carlo
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Group 2: Omnic wreckers and Talon breakers
Players from this group just enjoy going in with a small strike team against waves of enemies that vary in power and appearance. For you, there is a thrill in being always outmanned but never outgunned and you just love beating down those OR14s and putting Talon Assassins in their place. According to Blizzard, the main reason why a sequel actually happened is that the current Overwatch engine couldn't handle more complex PvE encounters, which should mean the PvE activities in the sequel will be better than the ones in the original.
Since Overwatch 2 sounds handcrafted for you, it's really not a question of whether you should buy it or not. Depending on the price point Activision Blizzard set for the game versus how much content there will be, that could be the only obstacle in your decision making.
Group 3: PvP enthusiasts that care about PvE only when there is a loot box attached to it
If Overwatch lore and PvE modes don't appeal to you, there is really no reason to purchase Overwatch 2. Blizzard already stated the two games will share the player pool for PvP and that the original will keep getting the same PvP modes, heroes, maps and balance changes as Overwatch 2. Slightly different looks on heroes is the only thing you might want from Overwatch 2 but does that really warrant a purchase?
