BlizzCon is always an exciting event for Blizzard fans, as it delivers the latest news on the company’s upcoming video game projects. This year, one of the most anticipated games was easilyOverwatch 2, the sequel to the critically-acclaimedOverwatch. Unfortunately for fans of Blizzard’s hero-shooter, those that tuned in to theOverwatchfestivities at BlizzCon 2021likely came away a bit disappointed.
Blizzard has dropped the ball at BlizzCon events in the past, perhaps most infamously with theDiablo Immortalreveal, but still, it’s safe to say that many were not prepared for the general lack of majorOverwatchnews at the event. After all, besidesDiablo 4,Overwatch 2is one of the only new games that has actually been announced by Blizzard. And with the game having a major presence at BlizzCon 2019, many assumed that it would have a similar impact at BlizzCon 2021. “Leaks” and rumors being spread online only served to hype up the game’s BlizzCon presence further, and ultimately, it did not live up to expectations.
Here is how Blizzard dropped the ball withOverwatchat BlizzCon 2021.
No Representation in the Keynote
Perhaps the biggest disappointment from BlizzCon 2021 forOverwatchfans was how the game had virtually no representation during the keynote address. Some fans felt misled, as Blizzard used some newD.Vaartwork to hype its BlizzCon festivities, and whileOverwatch 2did have a deep dive presentation, its absence from the keynote was still confusing. Anyone that watched the BlizzCon 2021 keynote in a livestream would have seen a chat absolutely flooded with people demandingOverwatch 2news, asking to seeOverwatchgame director Jeff Kaplan, and begging Blizzard to skip ahead to theOverwatchstuff.
It’s clear that manyOverwatchfans tuned in to this presentation for the express purpose of seeingOverwatch 2. Blizzard showed all of its already-announced games, along with thenew Blizzard Arcade Collection, but it didn’t showOverwatch 2during the keynote at all. When this became obvious, the chat turned decidedly more toxic, though it also was full of people expressing their disbelief that Blizzard didn’t showcase one of its biggest games during its keynote presentation.
Unfortunately, this set the tone for a generally disappointing BlizzCon 2021 forOverwatchfans.
No New Hero
Shortly after the keynote, Blizzard offered a deeper dive intoOverwatch 2. It revealednewOverwatch 2maps like Rome and New York, offered some new details on how Hero Missions will work, and explained some of the new PvE enemy types that players will encounter in said missions. But what many fans were hoping to see was a new hero for the game’s roster, as has become tradition at BlizzCon events, but they were left disappointed.
No newOverwatchhero has been added to the game sinceEcho made her debut in 2020, and fans didn’t even get an update on the previously-revealed hero, Sojourn. With it being so long since fans have seen a newOverwatchhero, BlizzCon 2021 was the opportunity to make a big splash with a new character reveal, but unfortunately, it came and went with no new heroes.
No New Trailer
While there was newOverwatch 2footage shown at BlizzCon 2021, there wasn’t a proper trailer for the game. Perhaps this is why it was absent from the keynote address, but considering how well-receivedBlizzard’sOverwatchtrailers and animated shortshave been, it’s puzzling that a new one wasn’t at BlizzCon 2021. After all, theOverwatch 2trailer from BlizzCon 2019 was hugely popular with fans, revealing the sequel with an emotionally-impactful trailer that revealed new characters, new gameplay features, and also set the stage for the game’s story.
Nothing for Overwatch 1
All eyes are onOverwatch 2, but in the meantime, the originalOverwatchgame still exists and receives support from Blizzard. With theOverwatch 2release date not until 2022 at the earliest, one would think there would be an effort to keep fans engaged with the first game. Unfortunately, nothing for the originalOverwatchgame was announced at BlizzCon 2021, so it seems as though fans of the game will just have to make due with the usual seasonal events and all of the existing content in the game.
Hope for the Future
While manyOverwatchfans were letdown with the game’s presence at BlizzCon 2021, there are a number of factors that could have led to its underwhelming showing. Chief among these is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as it’s no secret that it has had a profound impact on video game development. There once was a time when people believed that theOverwatch 2release date would be within the next few months, after all.
However, there is hope thatOverwatch 2news will start ramping up. Jeff Kaplan has indicated thatOverwatch 2updates will be more frequentnow that BlizzCon 2021 is over. So it seems as though fans of the game should have plenty to look forward to between now and whenOverwatch 2finally launches.
Overwatch 2is in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
