Overwatch 2 teases ‘groundbreaking PvP gameplay changes’ coming soon, and I’m very curious

The future of Overwatch 2 is set to be revealed in a new event coming in a couple of weeks, Blizzard Entertainment confirmed today, featuring content creators and more.

Overwatch 2 Spotlight will expand on what the team calls “groundbreaking changes to the PvP experience that will be unlike anything you’ve seen before,” drumming up excitement and setting expectations high for what’s to come.

According to Blizzard, just putting up a blog or recording a developer update wouldn’t be enough to show off everything it has in store, so a livestream event it is. And OW2 Spotlight could set a precedent moving forward if the company wants to have a yearly event to show off what’s in the pipeline.

Blizzard promised not just “incredible changes” to “how the game is played,” but also information on new heroes, new maps, future content scheduled to come in February and even further along in the year. So, it sounds like the company is ready to give a bit of a road map to inject some hope and some hype into the game again.

I have to admit, I’m curious. What does “groundbreaking changes” to a PvP hero shooter look like? The goes double for OW2, which as much as the number in the title would suggest, is still quite similar to the original game that launched almost nine years ago. The game changed up the original’s formula to five-vs-five, added multiple new heroes and modes, battle passes, a cosmetics store, and more, but it’s still OW at its heart.

It will also be fun to get a peek at some upcoming heroes, which Blizzard hasn’t done very often, leaving most of them as a surprise in the weeks or months leading up to their release. Just how far out on the calendar are we looking? If 2025 is on the table, that means we could see at least two new heroes, if not more.

You’d have to think that a full return to six-vs-six is on the table after the popularity of its playtests at the beginning of the year, along with other requested features such as hero bans or map drafts. But the wording was specific to mention “PvP,” meaning a return of the game’s touted PvE mode that has since been scrapped is not likely. However, it’s not impossible. Nothing is in the year 2025.

I also feel like OW2 must be feeling the heat from Marvel Rivals at least a little bit. I know the comparison is tired at this point, but Rivals has been a juggernaut since it launched, dominating the playtime and the headlines of hero-shooter gamers everywhere, powered by Marvel-colored OW2 gameplay that’s been scratching that itch for many since it launched in early December. Maybe this is Blizzard’s answer to that, and if that’s the case, I may be even more excited.

Either way, I’m glad to see that big plans are in the works for OW2. I still play and enjoy the game, albeit not as much as I used to, but that could be chalked up to me getting older and not having many friends to play with anymore as much as any issues the game itself has.

Regardless, I will be tuning in and hoping to see everything OW2 is cooking up in OW2 Spotlight when it takes place on Feb. 12 at 12pm CT.