BlizzCon 2019 - Overwatch: What's Next Panel
We are getting a look at what's next in Overwatch 2.
Push Game Mode
New Maps
Story Missions
Hero Missions
Progression
Visual Updates
New Heroes
Sequel
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We are getting a look at what's next in Overwatch 2.
Push Game Mode
- The team has built lots of game modes of the year, but they have been an Arcade feature.
- Push is the first game mode since launch that is a core game mode. In Quick Play, Competitive, and Overwatch League.
- Push map is in Toronto, escorting a robot into enemy territory. Push the furthest to win!
- As you stand near the robot, it will start moving towards the enemy base.
- Hit checkpoints, unlock a new spawn point, earn points.
- When robot isn't pushing, he walks much faster.
- Reaching the end of the map with the robot results in an instant victory.
- Internal testing usually doesn't reach the end of the map.
- More interesting to have the robot move back and forth across the map.
- Map is mirrored and symmetrical.
- Team fights happen all across the map instead of at control points like on the current games.
- Lots of shortcuts and connections in this winding Toronto map.
New Maps
- Toronto - Red maple trees, hockey things, curling arena, very multi-cultural.
- Push will have multiple maps.
- Every core game mode will get multiple new maps.
- None of the maps being previewed today are finished.
- Toronto, Gothenburg, Monte Carlo, Rio De Janeiro.
Story Missions
- Paris is under attack, as is the world.
- Joining Winston in Paris are other members of the team.
- Cinematic storytelling!
- In Rio - Mei, Reinhardt, Tracer, Lucio are the choices.
- Lots of strategic decision making and fast action in the regular game, trying to bring it to the PvE part of the game.
- In Rio, Mercy and Genji are on the mission, but not currently a hero you can use.
- Added an items system to the story missions.
- Healing Station - Epic, heal 100 health, 90 sec cooldown, reusable.
- Corrosive Grenade - Legendary, throw grenade that makes enemies take 60% more damage
- Barrier Fence - Epic, 2000 HP barrier, 90 sec cooldown, reusable.
Hero Missions
- Play them night after night, week after week, year after year.
- Somewhat like adventure mode in Diablo or World Quests in WoW.
- Will take place all across the globe, in old and new maps.
- Objectives will keep changing.
- Hero Roster is much more open here, team wants you to be able to pick from all of them.
- Good opportunity to play and level up heroes that you don't normally play.
- Different enemy groups, such as Null Sector, Talon, other threats.
Progression
- Only showing off part of the progression system right now, it's still under development.
- Talent system was designed for Hero Missions, but got hooked up to Story Missions too after people realized they enjoyed it.
- Level up each hero, unlocking different talents.
- Talents give you player power, that's the goal.
- Talents won't come into the competitive part of the game. Everyone will be equally powerful.
- Allows you to make your hero feel different than other people's heroes.
- Tracer talents:
- Adaptive Reload - Pulse Pistols reload when using any ability.
- Chain Reaction - Pulse Bomb causes secondary explosions on enemies that are damaged by it.
- Flash - Blinking through enemies damages them
- Sojiro's Guidance - Any arrow that hits an enemy detected by Sonic Arrow will pierce other detected enemies.
- Epicenter - Earthshatter travels in all directions.
- Cold Snap - When Cryo-freeze ends, nearby enemies are instantly frozen.
- Snowball Effect - Continue to move after using Cryo-freeze, rolling
- Dragons Breath - When using Dragonblade, your slashes create a large, piercing projectile.
- Flame Thrower - Turrets have a flamethrower instead of minigun
- My Babies! - Torbjorn can place up to 3 mini turrets, instead of 1 regular turret.
Visual Updates
- Greatly upgraded version of the engine, not a new engine.
- Batman has existed for a long time, updated over time, but you always knew him when you saw him.
- Bastion and Torbjorn living together, with Torbjorn upgrading Bastion.
- Completely new way of doing eyes, hair, skin in the updated engine.
- Team spent a lot of time bringing characters closer to the camera, very proud of how they look now.
- Upgraded the HUD, goal is to get it out of your way.
- New HUD is still early in development, play the demo and give feedback.
- New Mercy UI shows who you are healing, health ring, and new reticle.
- Every screen and interface is updated, hero gallery, and more.
- There is even a new announcer!
New Heroes
- New heroes need to have a story that fits and role that fits what the game needs.
- Sojourn is the first Canadian hero.
- A few new heroes will all be released at once.
Sequel
- Imagine the team was coming up with a new game, Overwatch 2. New heroes, new maps, story missions, hero missions, progression, talents, engine upgrades, hero visual updates.
- When a sequel comes out, you lose all of your progression and can't play with friends that haven't bought the new game. The team wants to avoid this in Overwatch.
- It's important that your progression comes with you.
- Coming to Battle.net, Switch, PS4, Xbox One.
- No release date yet, just let the team make a great game.
- Team going dark after BlizzCon.
- Team is focused on Overwatch 2, but there are still some cool updates coming to Overwatch.
- Not adding a new event to Archives this year, the team is focused on Overwatch 2.
- You can go the the Training Room, play a new Deathmatch mode, custom game, or workshop while waiting in an update coming to Overwatch.
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