The arrival of Overwatch 2, set for the first days of next October, will not allow players to return to the first episode of the series. To reveal it is the game director Aaron Keller, in an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit. Keller said, in fact, that the second iteration of the franchise will entirely replace the title launched in 2016. An almost natural choice, if we think about the free-to-play nature of the second game and how it is nothing more than a real expansion .

This is not new. In the past there had already been signs in this sense, starting from the introduction of the first closed beta of Overwatch 2 within the first chapter. But now, with Keller’s official statement, everything is confirmed again. The first game of the series will therefore be replaced by the second, thus marking a real continuity in the franchise.

Blizzard’s choice also aligns with those taken regarding the economic system of the game. Unlike in the past, we already know that Overwatch 2 will not have any kind of monetization within it beyond in-game purchases and the Battle Pass, eliminating the reward boxes. As already revealed by the development teamhowever, all loot boxes and virtual currency will be carried over to the new game.

However, the transition will not be traumatic. Overwatch 2 will launch on October 4, 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and PC, in free-to-play version. A new beta of the game will be available starting June 28, 2022 on all platforms, unlike the first a few months ago, limited exclusively to PC players. This choice will therefore allow players not to lose money and create a sort of continuity between the two games. Keep following Tom’s Hardware for all the news and announcements in the pipeline from the world of video games.