ESPN claims it recently acquired a BlizzCon training document, which contains several details regarding Overwatch 2. According to ESPN’s source, Blizzard Entertainment is expected to announce the next iteration of Overwatch at this year’s BlizzCon.
Overwatch 2 will be a PvE-focused experience similar to something found in Valve’s Left 4 Dead series. The next entry in the series is claimed to have a heavier emphasis on story and narrative elements, with the Overwatch 2 expected to have “a four-player story experience set in Rio de Janeiro.” Additionally, this mode will also introduce “Hero talents and in-game items.”
As far as multiplayer goes, the document suggests that Blizzard is working on a new mode called “Push,” which will utilize a brand-new map located in Toronto. ESPN also claims that “at least one new hero” will be announced during BlizzCon. More importantly, the website has stated that Overwatch 2 will be one of the marquee games at this year’s convention. Although ESPN’s recent report does not mention or make any predictions on when the game will be officially released, it has been reported that development is said to be far enough that both the PvE and Push modes, along with a new hero, will most likely be available to play during the two-day event.
The biggest takeaway from this document, is that is lines up perfectly with a report published by Kotaku back in June, which claimed that Blizzard canceled a first-person shooter StarCraft game in order for the developer to place all its time and resources into crafting Overwatch 2 as well as Diablo 4 with Kotaku also claiming that both games are expected to be revealed at BlizzCon 2019.
Although Overwatch has been one of the Blizzard’s most popular titles within the last several years, at this moment in time, one of the biggest obstacles the game will face concerns the reputation of its developer. Within the last month, Blizzard has been dealing with severe backlash after it inflicted punishment on Hearthstone player Blitzchung, after he spoke out during a postgame interview, supporting the protests in Hong Kong. More recently, Activision Blizzard’s CEO received a letter of criticism from a bipartisan Congressional group.
