Overwatch
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Overwatch 2 meant to be challenging, may include ping system
Olivia Richman
Overwatch is a game that relies on teamwork to win. While this has long been among the reasons players flock to the unique FPS, others have found this aspect frustrating when their teammates don’t have a microphone. A game where teams need to “group up” and combine ultimates can easily be a source of frustration if you can’t get your teammates to cooperate or properly communicate. This may be solved …
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Big Overwatch 1 updates to come after Overwatch 2 release
Olivia Richman
Before Overwatch fans found out about the Overwatch 2 reveal at BlizzCon, many were left wondering why the existing title wasn’t getting a lot of updates. Blizzard vice president Jeff Kaplan has admitted that the development of Overwatch 2 is the cause of Overwatch 1’s slowed update schedule. In fact, Kaplan told fans he was relieved that he could finally clue them in on what they’ve been working on. “Like, …
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Jeff Kaplan says Blizzard should eliminate blitzchung’s ban entirely
Olivia Richman
Blizzard president J. Allen Brack briefly touched on the ban of Ng “blitzchung” Wai Chung at BlizzCon earlier this month, but the company has yet to unban the Hearthstone Grandmasters player for voicing his support of Hong Kong protesters in a post-match interview. While the gaming community has protested the company and called for a boycott of its titles, some of Blizzard’s leaders are voicing their disagreement with the punishments as well. …
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Overwatch patch 1.42 buffs Baptiste, Torbjorn, brings map changes
Fariha Bhatti
A new Overwatch patch has been released by developer Blizzard for the retail version of the game and is now available on all platforms. Patch 1.42 introduces some buffs for heroes Torbjorn and Baptiste, along with a series of changes for future competitive matches. Baptiste has had three separate updates to his Biotic Launcher weapon, each of them slight buffs to increase his overall damage output and his ability to …
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Overwatch 2 Story and Hero Mission details revealed
Fariha Bhatti
Overwatch 2 was officially announced at BlizzCon and with that reveal came details on the new additions to the game. Alongside a visual update, new maps, and new heroes, the sequel will introduce a number of new game modes. Overwatch 2 will focus on cooperative gameplay, with the biggest addition being a full-time PvE mode. Much like the Archives events that happen once a year, players will have the chance …
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Fans rejoice as Sojourn announced as new hero in Overwatch 2
Olivia Richman
Since Overwatch’s initial launch, fans have been curious about a character named Sojourn. The soldier first appeared in the animated short “Recall,” introduced to Overatch fans as an agent who received a message to rejoin Overwatch. The three-year-old short was posted to YouTube before the game’s launch. It centered on Winston, who is debating if he should recall Overwatch’s original agents after Talon attacks Watchpoint: Gibraltar. “I do miss the …
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Four new Overwatch maps revealed during Overwatch 2 announcement
Fariha Bhatti
As part of the unveiling of Overwatch 2, a slew of new maps were revealed. The four locations that were shown include Monte Carlo, Gothenburg, Rio de Janeiro, and Toronto. Each of the new maps will arrive in both Overwatch 1 and 2, but according to Jeff Kaplan, there will be some differences. Rio will host one of the Overwatch 2-exclusive Story Missions. According to Kaplan, the level will be …
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BlizzCon opens with attempted apology on blitzchung controversy
Fariha Bhatti
Blizzard president J. Allen Brack introduced the Blizzcon gaming convention today with an attempt at a personal apology. His message spoke of Blizzard’s goal to unite people through the medium of video games, and indirectly spoke to the recent situation involving Hearthstone player Ng “blitzchung” Wai Chung having been a mistake. The opening ceremony of BlizzCon, Blizzard’s own showcase convention, usually starts with the biggest news that the developer has …
Overwatch 2 debuts at BlizzCon with Push game mode, PvE missions
William Davis
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Blizzard is expanding the story and universe around their best-selling first person shooter in the newly announced sequel Overwatch 2. Blizzcon 2019 closed out its opening ceremony today with the exciting reveal of the future of Overwatch. Overwatch 2 was revealed and will feature a new competitive game mode called “Push,” a heavy focus on PvE content, and a greater concentration on delivering story and narrative content to its players …
Overwatch 2 trailer and gameplay revealed at BlizzCon
Olivia Richman
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A heartfelt trailer set the scene for Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 announcement at BlizzCon earlier today. The cinematic, called “Zero Hour,” opens up with Winston and Mei sitting alone in what used to be a room used by the members of Overwatch. Old photos decorate the walls. Tracer, the apparent pilot of the ship, tells Mei and Winston that they wil be landing in Paris, where there’s a Null Sector invasion. …
BlizzCon protest moves ahead despite blitzchung’s reduced punishment
Olivia Richman
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An apology from Blizzard’s CEO and a reduced sentence for Chung “blitzchung” Ng Wai were not enough to deter Fight for the Future’s planned protest outside of BlizzCon this weekend. Protest organizer Dayton Young said that Blizzard has made a “small step in the right direction” by reevaluating their decision. But the developer’s actions towards blitzchung weren’t the only reasons that the protest was planned. Things like banning Twitch users …
Mitsubishi no longer Blizzard sponsor after blitzchung controversy
Olivia Richman
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It’s been no secret that Blizzard’s actions in response to Ng “blitzchung” Wai Chung’s call for the liberation of Hong Kong in a Hearthstone Grandmasters interview has garnered a lot of criticism from the gaming community. One group of activists have even declared that they will be protesting at BlizzCon this weekend over the developer’s decision to silence esports competitors and employees to seemingly please China. But it seems that gamers aren’t …
Here are the biggest Overwatch League roster moves so far
gabhernandez
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It’s been a rollercoaster of an off-season for the Overwatch League and there’s a lot of notable moves to catch up on. The most recent shakeup saw the Boston Uprising sign DPS Tae-hui “Jerry” Min from Meta Athena and Sang-min “Myunbong” Seo after dropping a slew of players and staff members. The Los Angeles Valiant have cut the majority of their team, leaving just support player Scott “Custa” Kennedy. They’ve …
This is Echo, the 32nd hero coming soon to Overwatch
Olivia Richman
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When it was revealed that details of Overwatch 2 will soon be announced at BlizzCon, art for the game’s 32nd hero was leaked along with it. And if the artwork proves to be accurate, that means Echo is finally coming to Overwatch. Echo was officially introduced at BlizzCon last year in the Overwatch short “Reunion.” Starring gunslinger Jesse McCree, the short takes place on Route 66. The BAMF runs into …
Overwatch 2 to be revealed at BlizzCon, alongside new hero and modes
Olivia Richman
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New information will be announced on Overwatch 2 at BlizzCon. ESPN obtained a BlizzCon training document that revealed Blizzard’s plans to share a new logo, new game modes, new maps, new heroes, and even a PvE feature in Overwatch 2. Rumors of an Overwatch 2 have been swirling for months. In June, Kotaku had published a report that informed fans that Blizzard would be cancelling a StarCraft spin-off to focus …
Fusion president calls out OWL caster over roster move criticisms
Olivia Richman
News
When an Overwatch League caster made a negative comment about mixed rosters, Philadelphia Fusion president Tucker Roberts decided to challenge his statement. Caster Wolf Schroder took to Twitter to offer some harsh words regarding Paris Eternal’s recent roster moves. “Is Paris building a Korean roster? They have hired two Korean coaches now, and with Rush, probably Sp9ark1e to follow?” Schroder tweeted. “Would hate to see such incredible EM talent go …
Mark Cuban says investing in esports teams is “awful business”
Olivia Richman
News
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban said owning an esports team is an “awful business” in a recent interview with Fox Sports 1. Cuban listed a lack of viewership and ever-changing metas as major reasons people shouldn’t invest in North American esports organizations. “I absolutely wouldn’t (invest),” Cuban said. “You know what the meta is? They change things all the time, whether it’s Overwatch, League of Legends, or Fortnite for that matter.” The reason …
A closer look at the extensive lore behind Overwatch
Olivia Richman
News
Despite being a highly competitive FPS centered around battling other teams and players, Overwatch has a surprising amount of lore. In a game where you basically protect a moving vehicle as it makes its way through the map, the story behind the maps and the heroes protecting those payloads is complex and sometimes emotionally gripping. There’s so much lore to explore that it can get a little overwhelming. Here’s a …
Overwatch World Cup is the next big Overwatch event to watch
Olivia Richman
News
Overwatch League Season 2 has ended with the San Francisco Spark coming out victorious. But admist all the roster announcements and new coaches in the offseason, it’s time to find out which country is truly the best at Overwatch. The fourth annual Overwatch World Cup is the next Overwatch event to watch, and it’s just around the corner. The event will begin November 1 at BlizzCon, located in Anaheim, pitting …
Major Overwatch League trades and signings in leaked video
Olivia Richman
News
There have been a lot of interesting trades and roster changes leading up to the 2020 Overwatch League Season, but a leaked video has revealed possibly even more shocking trades and signings on the horizon. A video of OWL analyst Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson speaking with players Scott “Custa” Kennedy, and Alberto “neptuNo” Gonzalez has made its rounds online. Seemingly unaware that they are being recorded, the three discuss some major …
Overwatch has become a mainstay in competitive gaming, though the Blizzard creation hasn’t always had a smooth road to travel. From massive peaks of success to major controversies and dips in popularity, the Overwatch franchise has proved resilient, still playing host to legions of players and fans.
Along the way, the game served as host to one of the most ambitious projects in the growing history of esports, and saw the release of a sequel that changed in form and function multiple times before finally releasing to the public.
What is Overwatch?
Overwatch is a prototypical “hero shooter,” a game that combines first-person shooting gameplay with heroic abilities that are unique to each of the game’s diverse cast of characters. One character might swing a giant hammer and wield a protective shield behind which teammate can take cover, while another might zip around the game’s world with twin guns blazing, warping time and space at will.
That variety of characters and playing styles is a big reason for Overwatch’s success. When no two characters play exactly alike, the sheer variety available in the game becomes a draw. Throw in colorful visuals, dynamic and responsive gameplay, and action-packed battles between teams of opposing players all combining their different abilities together, and you can begin to understand the popularity of Overwatch.
When developers at Blizzard first released Overwatch, there was nothing else quite like it. The closest any major release had come was likely Team Fortress 2, which also featured teams of opposing characters wielding varied abilities in prolonged battles. But Overwatch leaned even further into the unique qualities of its characters, including their presentation. Across PCs and consoles alike, the game proved to be a sensation upon its 2016 release.
What happened to the Overwatch League?
Originally founded in 2017, the Overwatch League was meant to serve as a long-term competitive hub for the game’s professional teams and players prior to its official shutdown in 2024. The league was created with big ambitions in mind, as Blizzard, by then partnered with massive publisher Activision, planned to seed local teams in a variety of cities spread across the world. The idea was to emulate traditional professional sports by rooting pro teams in certain cities and regions in the hopes of cultivating local fan followings.
This was a big change compared what had become the standard in esports, with esports organizations representing themselves to their fans regardless of region. At most, broad regions such as North America or Europe were most often marketed to by individual teams. To hone that in on a specific city was a significant change.
Activision-Blizzard also took the step of making pro Overwatch a closed system; that is, high-level tournaments were broadly restricted outside of official OWL events. While this exclusivity offered theoretical opportunity for the OWL through scarcity, it was also a different approach relevant to the established norm in esports, which traditionally saw smaller grass-roots events feed into a game’s highest levels as tournaments gradually scaled up in prominence and prize offerings.
Demanding tens of millions of dollars from investors who sought to own an OWL team and signing big-money exclusive broadcast deals with streaming platforms, the OWL got itself off to a hot start. But concerns over flagging viewership and overall revenue struggles persisted as the league marched forward. Its intended model proved unsustainable, and the league was eventually shut down.
Do people still play Overwatch?
Despite the fate of OWL, Overwatch remains broadly popular in its current form: Overwatch 2. The game remains under active development at Activision-Blizzard, regularly receiving new in-game events and more unique heroes with special abilities that allow the game to be played in different ways.
The release of Overwatch 2 was itself not without some controversy, as Blizzard’s plans for its contents changed and shifted through the sequel’s development cycle, and the final version of OW2 released as more of a continuation of the original game than a distinctly different sequel. But that continuation still preserved the gameplay and overall experience so many players had come to love about OW. For them, getting more of the same ultimately was not an issue.
