Summary
- Blizzard kicked off BlizzCon 2023 with major announcements for Overwatch 2, including Tank hero Mauga and the new Clash PvP game mode.
- Mauga's abilities were leaked beforehand, but fans got their first in-game look at them during the event. A free trial for Mauga will be available today.
- Overwatch 2's 2024 plans include a new game mode called Clash, a revamped Hanamura map, and the addition of three new heroes.
Blizzard kicked off its BlizzCon 2023 presentation with some major announcements for hero shooter Overwatch 2, confirming Tank hero Mauga, the new Clash PvP game mode, and some of its plans for 2024. The Overwatch 2 Mauga reveal was leaked ahead of BlizzCon 2023, but that was only a small part of the hero shooter's presence at the big event.
While Mauga's abilities leaked ahead of BlizzCon 2023, the event gave fans their first look at how those abilities look in-game. Mauga will become a permanent addition of the Overwatch 2 roster once Season 8 rolls around on December 5, but fans will get the chance to play as him well before then. A free trial for Mauga will go live in Overwatch 2 today and will remain available through November 5.
Overwatch 2 Confirms Next Major Crossover Event
Blizzard confirms the next major Overwatch 2 crossover event, and fans don't have to wait long for it to kick off.
Mauga and Season 8 will close out Overwatch 2's 2023 content, but game director Aaron Keller has teased what fans can expect in 2024. Overwatch 2's 2024 plans include the debut of a new game mode called Clash, which will have five points positioned in a row. The center point starts at the first objective, with teams battling back and forth over the map, pushing into enemy territory or defending their own. To win, players need to either capture all five points or reach the maximum score. The first Clash map is a revamped take on Hanamura, known as Hanaoka.
Overwatch 2 Mauga Gameplay Trailer
Overwatch 2 BlizzCon 2023 Biggest Announcements
- New Tank hero Mauga
- New Clash PvP game mode
- Hanamura returning as Hanaoka
- Reworked Competitive mode with new rewards
- Seasons themed after Eldtrich horror, Egyptian mythology, witches, and a mirror universe
- New Damage hero Venture in Season 10
- New Support hero codenamed Space Ranger in Season 12
2024 will also see "overhauls" to some of Overwatch 2's in-game systems, with big changes coming to the Competitive mode coming early next year. Blizzard stopped short of providing specifics on what fans can expect from the Competitive rework, but new competitive rewards were promised. 2024's seasonal themes were also teased, with fans able to look forward to seasons based on Eldritch horror, Egyptian mythology, witches, and even a "mirror universe where heroes become villains and villains become heroes."
Just scratching the surface of everything we have in the works.
And finally, game director Aaron Keller confirmed that three new heroes will come to Overwatch 2 in 2024. First up will be new Damage hero Venture, joining the game in Season 10, followed by a character who is known by the codename Space Ranger, set to be added to the Overwatch 2 roster in Season 12. Fans will have to wait to learn more about what the third new hero has in store, but regardless, it's clear that 2024 is going to be a massive one for Blizzard's big hero shooter game. As Keller teased, these BlizzCon 2023 reveals are "just scratching the surface" of everything Blizzard has in the works for the game.
Overwatch 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
