Two of the biggest things that stand out from Overwatch 2 compared to Overwatch are that it’s free-to-play and will go from 6v6 to 5v5 play.
Now, we just found out something else that’s equally important: Overwatch 2 will not have a third beta period.
Overwatch 2 has had two public betas already, which, must have been enough for Blizzard.
Here’s what Blizzard vice president Jon Spector had to say about more Overwatch 2 betas on Twitter:
Today marks just 2 months until Overwatch 2’s launch! We know players are eager to dive in and have seen questions about the possibility of a third public Beta. While we will continue testing OW2 daily internally, we’re not planning any additional public Beta tests. With all the valuable feedback we received from our alpha and 2 public beta tests, we will be focusing our efforts on launching the best game possible on Oct. 4.
Does Overwatch 2 need a third beta period? It all depends on who you ask. Some like what they’ve seen from the game already. Junker Queen, the new Overwatch 2 hero, was a huge hit. But, some players also feel like Blizzard needs more help “breaking” Overwatch 2. After all, Overwatch 2 is a fundamentally different game. In addition to the move from 6v6 to 5v5, the game will rework several existing characters on top of adding new ones. Plus, it’s not like Overwatch players have a choice in the matter – Overwatch 2 will replace the original Overwatch.
It’s one thing to overhaul the structure of a game for a sequel and yet still make the original available, but it’s another thing entirely to force people to switch. Case in point, Warzone will run in parallel with Warzone 2. So, we’re surprised the Blizzard side of the company isn’t doing the same thing.
@xfire.com Blizzard confirms no more Overwatch 2 beta until October#ActivisionBlizzard #Overwatch #Overwatch2 #Warzone2
Ultimately, all of this talk is noise. It’s completely up to Blizzard how to handle Overwatch 2. The company may already feel confident enough with what they’ve seen so far. Then again, Blizzard just probably doesn’t want to trouble by running a third open beta. Either way, this is a risky move for Blizzard. We guarantee that the internet mob is getting its pitchforks ready as most will blame the lack of another beta period just in case things go south for Overwatch 2 at launch.
With Overwatch 2 scheduled to go live on October 4 as a free-to-play title, we won’t have to wait for too long to find out. Also, we hope that Blizzard won’t actually bring $45 skins to Overwatch 2, at least, not out of the gates.
