Blizzard has released a new dev diary announcing the first public Overwatch 2 tests for the game, the first closed beta expected to begin in late April for PC. A closed alpha for an even more select group is set to begin this week.
To sign up for the beta, head to PlayOverwatch.com and register your interest. Access will be rolled out in phases.
The first PvP beta will include a bunch of new content from the pseudo sequel. This means that it will make the shift to 5v5 multiplayer, include the new Push game mode and hero reworks, as well as the new Damage hero called Sojourn. It’s described as the biggest public release of content since the game’s original 2016 launch.
In order to do this, Blizzard has changed direction for Overwatch’s development. On the one hand, they promise to be more communicative and consistent with updates to the community. On the other, they’re “decoupling” Overwatch 2’s PvP and PvE experiences. Since the new content and changes for PvP for Overwatch 2 will also be rolled back to the original game, the real meat of Overwatch 2, the reason to buy the new game was for the PvE experience. It’s not clear what this change will mean for the full release of Overwatch 2, but it’s a significant change.
Overwatch 2 was announced a couple of years back at BlizzCon 2019, but development has been longer than anticipated and the game has slipped from its provisional 2022 release window thanks to the many challenges that Blizzard has faced over the last few years. Yes, there’s been the whole pandemic, but Activision Blizzard has struggled to address the many allegations of misconduct and harassment that emerged last year, there’s been the ongoing DFEH investigation and lawsuit, and Overwatch’s team chose to rename a character that was named after someone directly implicated in that. Oh, and apparently Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has had a hand in muddying Overwatch 2’s development.
All in all, it’s a positive step to get the game’s development and team back on the front foot and try to keep players engaged. Who knows when the full Overwatch 2 will release, but if this means that PvP comes out before PvE, that could be key in keeping the player base happy. If Overwatch 2 PvP is ready to go, it could also keep the Overwatch League at full strength.
Source: press release
