Overwatch is dead; long live Overwatch 2

polygon.com:

When Blizzard Entertainment revealed Overwatch 2 to the world nearly three years ago, then-game director Jeff Kaplan, the man who shepherded the original Overwatch from failed MMO to dominant hero shooter, said the team hoped to “redefine what a sequel means.” Kaplan, beloved by the Overwatch community, was believably optimistic.

Blizzard has certainly redefined what a sequel means with Overwatch 2, but not in the way that Kaplan had seemingly envisioned. Because Overwatch 2 is not a sequel in the conventional sense. Instead, it’s a thorough overhaul and replacement of the 2016 game, now with free-to-play economic underpinnings to support its continued development.

Overwatch 2 may not earn its “2” — branding it Overwatch 2.0 might have felt more apt — but it does earn its “early access” launch designation. Overwatch 2 arrives without the biggest selling points touted at its reveal: “a complete story experience” and “highly replayable” cooperative hero missions. Blizzard has promised those features will come later. But new heroes, new maps, a new gameplay mode, and other changes both superficial and consequential at least make Overwatch 2 feel… different.

Overwatch 2 carries over the entire roster from the first game, and introduces three new heroes. They are Sojourn, the series’ first playable Black woman character, who brings a railgun and high mobility to the damage group. Junker Queen, a towering tank who, like all Australian Overwatch characters, summons Mad Max comparisons, also brings team buffs and aggression to the roster. New support character Kiriko combines the fast-paced action of Overwatch’s Genji with the ability to heal and teleport through walls. All three are exciting new additions to the world of