It's safe to say that Overwatch 2 is a game that feels like it's never coming out - it's in the same realms as League of Legends 2 and Minecraft 2 for a lot of people, too. It's a sequel that doesn't need to be made when continual content updates to the existing title would suffice.
However, Blizzard is still pressing ahead with a sequel to Overwatch and Overwatch 2 is still in the works. There are going to be some changes to the basic design of the heroes and how abilities work, but a lot of the content is going to be quite similar. This has us asking an interesting question... Is Overwatch 2 going to be free for Overwatch players and people who already own Overwatch?
Here's everything we know so far and why we're not so sure that it is...
Will Overwatch 2 be free for Overwatch players?
It's hard to say anything with certainty regarding Overwatch 2's development - it seems as troubled as ever with sporadic updates from Blizzard and no official release date announcement coming anytime soon. The content on show all looks like it should be a free update - new maps and modes have been in the past - however, there are some changes that could warrant a paid update.
Overwatch 2 is reportedly going to overhaul the way Overwatch's heroes work - introducing a new levelling system with more options for each character. Furthermore, there's going to be a shift from 6v6 games to 5v5 games and more of a focus on PvE content - which we've seen from Overwatch events in the past.
It all sounds good, but it all also sounds like changes that could be made to Overwatch for free - we don't need Overwatch 2 when Overwatch offers such a good base for expansion. In addition to this, when you consider the way Blizzard handles World of Warcraft expansions, it would make sense to integrate the Overwatch 2 content into Overwatch - as opposed to releasing it as a completely separate title.
At the moment, though, we're under the impression that Overwatch 2 WILL be a separate release and it WON'T be a free one at that. There is still time for this to change, but at the moment, Overwatch 2 can be pre-ordered at certain retailers for around £60. There isn't any sign of it on Blizzard's own site though - so there could be a change between now and whenever Overwatch 2 eventually sees the light of day and releases. That could be a while though...