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With BlizzCon 2023 finally wrapping up its set in the heart of the United States, Blizzard fans are left with a full course of Overwatch 2 announcements to savor. From World of Warcraft to Hearthstone, Diablo 4, and Warcraft Rumble, the devs have always had something new and exciting planned for players. Similarly, Blizzard’s flagship hero-shooter announced several new additions and updates that we, the fans, cannot wait to get our hands on.
For those who want a recap, this article will go over all the information regarding Overwatch 2 revealed during the two-day session of BlizzCon 2023.
Overwatch 2: 4 new heroes revealed at BlizzCon 2023
In terms of new heroes, it seems like a plethora of content is on the plate for the upcoming year. At BlizzCon 2023, the Overwatch 2 developers unveiled Mauga, the new Tank, for the upcoming season 8. Mauga was playable till November 6, 2023, for a test run in all kinds of modes except competitive.
The developers caught fans off–guard by showcasing a small gameplay footage of another upcoming hero, Venture, from a recent playtest conducted by them. The hero will make its debut in season 10, becoming the first-ever non-binary hero of Overwatch 2. On the other hand, another hero, codenamed Spaceranger, has also been shown. Hailing from the Mars colony, this mobile Support hero is all set to be released in season 12.
Furthermore, a Tank hero was accidentally revealed during the showcasing of the gameplay clip of Venture. Many players in the community are speculating that it is Sound Quake, one of the unseen characters of Overwatch. The character is expected to be released in Season 14.
Competitive 3.0 announced in BlizzCon 2023
A major competitive change is about to come onto the scene in Season 9 of Overwatch 2. On the first day of BlizzCon 2023, the Overwatch devs acknowledged the frustration regarding the current broken rank system in the community because of the overall imbalance and the absence of rank transparency.
So, the devs are introducing a new ranking system to enhance the overall experience for veterans as well as for new players. Players will now have a clear view of their progress in the ranking system. It implies that players will be able to see their progress after every match rather than getting a change in the rank after a certain amount of wins and losses, allowing them to rank up faster if they’re on a winning streak.
Additionally, players will go through a soft rank reset at the start of every season. They will play a total of 10 matches in order to get their rank, and a predicted rank will be shown with the progress of every match. It will help low-ranked players to get out of the Elo hell by performing well throughout the placement matches.
Moreover, the developers are adding a match rank range, which will be shown at the start of every competitive match, and are also working on new ranked rewards. By the end of every 10 wins (where a win grants triple progress), players can get 200 Competitive points as a reward. They’re also planning on a new Emerald Weapon that can be earned via these comp points.
New PvP mode Clash in Overwatch 2
A brand new PvP competitive mode named Clash is about to make its debut in the game. This mode is quite similar to Flashpoint but with a few tweaks. In this mode, the center point will serve as the initial zone of conflict. After seizing it, players need to either travel into the enemy territory or defend their own.
Overwatch game director Aaron Keller further compared that this mode to 2CP, but here, players have to move back and forth in order to capture every single point until they win.
Brand new Hero Mastery mode in Overwatch 2
After getting a positive response about the existing Hero Mastery mode in the current game, the devs decided to expand the roster of the playable heroes. The new roster consists of Echo, Mei, D.Va, Lucio and Genji. Considering the roster, it seems like they want to focus more on the Dive gameplay rather than the Brawl or Poke styles. This might be hinting at the next meta of the upcoming seasons, which is Dive gameplay.
Apart from these expanded rosters, developers are introducing a new 3-player co-op mode named Hero Mastery: Gauntlet. This mode is mainly focused on enemy waves, tower defense, and more such content.
New Map “Hanoka” announced in BlizzCon 2023
One of the oldest maps of Overwatch, named “Hanamura,” is all set to make its debut as the new “Hanaoka,” a flower hill. This map will be released as the new Clash mode map. Previously, in Overwatch, it used to be a 2CP mode map. The community is brimming with excitement after the devs announced its return alongside the new PvP mode.
Upcoming Battle Pass changes in Overwatch 2
On the first day of BlizzCon, Aaron Keller unveiled some exciting themes regarding the upcoming Battle Pass of Overwatch 2. He mentioned Eldritch Horrors, Egyptian Mythology, Witches, and Mirror World. Among these, players were most drawn to the theme of the Mirror World since it portrays the heroes of Overwatch as villains and villains as heroes.
Furthermore, over the conclusion of a “What’s Next” session, one of the devs gave a tiny clue regarding the changes they’re implementing in the upcoming Battle Pass. They’re enabling players to obtain any one of the Mythic skins released in previous seasons using a premium Battle Pass. It’ll be a welcome change for the players who missed any Mythic skins from the past seasons.
For more news on Overwatch 2, stay tuned on the page of Sportskeeda.
