As a sequel and replacement to the 2016 hero shooter Overwatch, the game included new gamemodes and a reduction in team size from six to five.

The game was planned to feature more story-based cooperative modes, but these were scrapped in 2023 to focus on its player-versus-player (PvP) elements.

Assult maps were considered unbalanced by the player community and were removed from normal gameplay matches but are available within arcade modes.

[5] Among other quality of life improvements, Overwatch 2 includes a ping system to direct the attention of teammates to specific points on the map.

It also discontinued loot boxes in favor of a battle pass system which is offered on a seasonal basis and corresponds with the introduction of new maps and heroes.

Overwatch 2 features cross-progression, with in-game cosmetic items and progress being shared across PC and console versions.

[10] Unlocked cosmetic items, in-game currency, and player statistics from any Overwatch profile linked to such an account are merged, and are available on all platforms.

All heroes gained a boost in health and passive healing, while buffs were applied to all characters with guns or similar weapons.

[19] Blizzard started to experiment with player response to bringing back six-on-six team combat through limited period tests during Season 14 in December 2024.

[23] With the launch of Season 15 in February 2025, a new gameplay feature called perks will be introduced across the main game modes.

[27] Jeff Kaplan, director for Overwatch, explained that this was a major decision and that he had to justify this "player-first standpoint" to Blizzard executives, given the current industry trend to draw in new sales.

This drove Blizzard to consider the battle pass approach, which was meant to balance player engagement with the game through its lifetime, and revenue from selling cosmetics.

Blizzard resisted this, fearing the added time and costs to bring on new staff would take too much from the ongoing development, and wanted to avoid Activision's desire to release Overwatch in annual installments.

[32] Players retained their existing cosmetics and in-game currency, with remaining loot boxes opened automatically upon the release of Overwatch 2.

[33] At least three new heroes were announced to be added to the roster, including Sojourn, a Canadian Overwatch officer, Junker Queen, the ruler of Junkertown, and Kiriko, the protector of Kanezaka.

[34][35] Overwatch 2 runs on an upgraded version of the original game's engine which allows for larger map sizes to better support the new story-based player versus environment (PvE) elements.

[42] In March 2022, Blizzard stated that they had put too much focus on Overwatch 2 over the past few years to the detriment of support for the original game, and so changed plans to release Overwatch 2 in parts, with the PvP portion to be released in beta form starting in April 2022 and the PvE part to come at a later time.

Access to the closed beta could be earned either by signing up for a chance to participate or by watching select Twitch streamers for a limited time on April 27.

[45][46] The game without its PvE mode was released as early access on October 4, 2022, for Windows, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

[52] According to Keller, the concept behind the PvE elements were trying to bring forward gameplay from the cancelled Titan which Overwatch was originally based on.

[66] Tyler Colp of PC Gamer was critical of Blizzard's handling of the sequel, writing that the game "intentionally or not, is trying to bury its predecessor alive."

Colp added, "the original Overwatch is still in there, bruised and broken, but the weight of Blizzard's commercial and competitive expectations keeps piling up.

The charm is still there, even if the delivery system has been muddled, and the game is no longer a premium product with easy-access characters that you can readily jump in and out of.

Players directed criticism toward Blizzard's decision to lock the character Kiriko as a free reward on the first season's battle pass.

[71][72][73] Following Kiriko's reveal trailer, CJ Wheeler of Rock Paper Shotgun wrote: "One look at PlayOverwatch's mentions on Twitter is, well, eye-opening.

It reveals so much criticism of the battle passes, from cries of pay to win to complaints about the grind before the game's even dropped.

[81][82][83][84] User reviews were generally critical of Blizzard's handling of Overwatch 2 including the removal of the planned PvE content, which director Aaron Keller acknowledged.

[85] Players also expressed frustration at issues related to the company's recent history, including allegations of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard.