Activision Blizzard's Overwatch 2 Launches in Boost to Video Game Lineup

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Activision Blizzard Inc.'s sequel to the critically acclaimed Overwatch video game launches on Tuesday, providing the US game publisher a boost to an otherwise slow year of new releases.

The changes in Overwatch 2 are more about ways to monetize the free-to-play game rather than the gameplay itself. The original Overwatch, which was released six years ago, remains one of the most celebrated games of all-time -- an obsession-worthy hero shooter for all skill levels set in a Utopian, multicultural vision for the future. In both games, two teams of diversely-designed heroes compete to claim objectives by eliminating opponents and team strategy.

For the 60 million people who purchased Overwatch for as much as $60, the new Overwatch 2 is a free upgrade that promises steadier content releases than its predecessor, addressing one of fans' major complaints. To new players, Overwatch 2 is as charming as it is difficult to put down, and comes at a time when the previous title's unique spin on the genre has lost its novelty.

“We wanted to broaden the reach of the franchise, and one way to do so is bring down financial barriers to accessing the game,” said Walter Kong, Overwatch general manager. “We also wanted to address the demands of existing players. We had heard for years that content flow is important to engagement. With Overwatch 2, one of our large goals was to make sure our organization could be sustained in the long-term to keep that going.”

Activision Blizzard is counting on Overwatch 2 to buoy dwindling excitement about subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment's original games and an overall post-pandemic slump in gaming. Introduced in 2016, Overwatch was the developer's last big release aside from 2022's Diablo Immortal,