In an interview with PCGamesN, Overwatch 2 game director Jeff Kaplan had this to say: “Well, we have made a lot of changes to loot boxes and how they work over the years, so we’re definitely open to change. Overwatch has been at the center of the controversy surrounding loot boxes, though they may not be present in the second entry. Even now, you can rest assured that if you earn rewards from loot boxes, you’ll have them in Overwatch 2.
Although Blizzard isn’t releasing any new heroes for the base game until the sequel launches, the cosmetic factory is still in full swing. All of your cosmetics from the first game will transfer to Overwatch 2. This centralized approach also affects cosmetics. We know that players with both versions of the game will play together and that it will feature crossplay across platforms. You may need an external account, but that seems unlikely given Blizzard’s dedication to maintaining the current Overwatch ecosystem. We don’t know how this will look, however. Blizzard will add new PvP content to Overwatch, creating a centralized system for all players.
When playing competitively, all players will operate in the same ecosystem, regardless of the game version they have. Overwatch 2′s multiplayer PvP environment is simply an extension of the first game. We’ll likely see some balance changes to account for the new heroes, but the roster is only going to grow from here on out. Going backward, all Overwatch heroes will be in Overwatch 2. In the announcement panel as well as in several interviews, Kaplan confirmed that they’re not cutting any characters from the roster, simply adding new ones. This is also where we learned that the game would now be free for the first time with the main new bit of information being the early access launch of October 4, 2022. The release date reveal trailer came during the Xbox and Bethesda showcase in 2022 and shows a little montage of some existing heroes looking stoic before some action shots, including the new heroes Sojourn and Junk Queen. We also learned that it will come to current-generation systems, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, at the same time.
Given that Overwatch was released simultaneously on PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2016, Overwatch 2 will likely launch on PC and consoles on the same day. Blizzard confirmed in 2019 that Overwatch 2 is coming to every platform that currently supports the first game. Overwatch is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
The PvP mode, which is by far the most popular mode, will launch for free as early access on October 4, 2022. Overwatch 2 will launch in two parts: PvP and the new PvE experience later on.