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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Overwatch 2's engagement and player investment is declining, the game's publisher Activision Blizzard admits.

In its Q2 2023 earnings report, Activision Blizzard revealed its free-to-play shooter has "declined sequentially" this quarter. However, it thinks the game's next major update, Overwatch 2: Invasion, which releases next month, should help circumvent the issue.

"While engagement and player investment in Overwatch 2 declined sequentially in the quarter, the Overwatch team is looking forward to the August 10 release of Overwatch 2: Invasion," the publisher wrote in its earnings report. "This will be the largest seasonal update yet, planned to include new PVE Story Missions, a new game mode, and a new hero progression system as well as an additional hero."

Overwatch 2: Invasion will introduce the next batch of story missions and is part of the sixth season of the team-based shooter. Last month, Blizzard confirmed the next batch of PvE missions will be locked behind a paywall, costing $15. Additionally, Blizzard confirmed earlier this month that it is likely Overwatch 2 will not get new story missions for at least the next two seasons after the release of Invasion.

Overwatch 2 launched October 2022 as a free download and got off to a strong start, with over 35 million people playing in the first month. In our review of Overwatch 2, which we gave an 8/10, my colleague Simon Cardy wrote that "Overwatch 2 breathes new life into what was once the sharpest multiplayer shooter around, before it had its edges severely dulled by Blizzard's attention shifting away".

But Overwatch 2 has endured a number of controversies since, none more potent than the cancellation of its long-awaited PvE Hero mode - the one feature that justified the sequel's existence.

Overwatch 2 Engagement and Player Investment Is Declining, Activision Blizzard Admits

But the publisher hopes next major update will fix that.

in.ign.com

 

[GHG]

Explains the steam release then.

Thanks for the scraps.

 

[Salz01]

In other news, water is wet……

 

[YukiOnna]

Considering how most didn't seem to enjoy the Story Missions from the Preview Event, it won't. It's just $15 glorified Archive missions.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Time for a new sexy Mercy skin

 

[Varteras]

 

[YukiOnna]

Time for a new sexy Mercy skin

About that... Also, they're a lot more censored these days anyway, I think.

 

[Saiyan-Rox]

 

[Kilau]

Nothing that 3 more gay characters can’t fix.

 

[BbMajor7th]

Felt like it peaked a long time ago. Overwatch 2 being so much of the same was hardly going to redress that.

 

[Interfectum]

Why not start releasing heroes that appeal to the player base and not the pink hairs at Blizzard?

 

[Xyphie]

It's pretty amazing how Blizzard just competely torpedoed the game themselves with that massive content drought. Everyone just kinda moved over to playing Valorant instead.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

People weren’t aware of this??

 

[Laieon]

I loved Overwatch 1, but have 0 interest in 2 due to the numerous changes made to the heroes I liked to play the most over the years, 5v5, and the decision to not roll out PvE as initially promised.

I'd play Overwatch Classic in a heartbeat though.

 

[STARSBarry]

Nothing that 3 more gay characters can’t fix.

One for each gender.

 

[Spyxos]

They also have only themselves to blame. No one wanted an ow2, especially when you almost can't tell the difference between the 2.

 

[Kaleinc]

Deleted not free game from accounts of people who payed for it, replaced with same but worse f2p crap, turned all chars into cucks and drag junker queens

 

[March Climber]

Nothing that 3 more gay characters can’t fix.

Why not start releasing heroes that appeal to the player base and not the pink hairs at Blizzard?

No amount of heroes can fix broken promises. This game died a very slow death the minute they halted everything to start working on a mode that they never released.

 

[Spaceman292]

Yeah because you ruined the fucking game

 

[Barakov]

Can't wait for the Overwatch Classic announcement.

 

[YukiOnna]

No amount of heroes can fix broken promises. This game died a very slow death the minute they halted everything to start working on a mode that they never released.

It's telling when I see the same toxic nimrod I made fun of 3 days ago again. Pain.

 

[Halo is Back]

No shit. That's what happens when you release a half-assed "sequel" and nuke the first game from ever being played again.

 

[gothmog]

I miss when the most disappointing part of the game was the gambling.

 

[mitch1971]

Nothing that 3 more gay characters can’t fix.

Free to gay.

 

[The Pleasure]

Did Microsoft already give Overwatch the 343 Touch?

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Activision and Blizzard are not well-oiled machines; they are machines working in overdrive mode. If something goes wrong, things simply don't stop working; they explode

 

[Anime-Vix]

Im not surprised by this. The community has been disappointed with this game. The PVE cancellation basically deflated whatever air was left.
Once this MS/activision deal goes through, MS should just scrap OW league and just let it thrive under the independent scene for a year or two.
Afterr that, With MS Owning Halo, Gears. Overwatch and COD. I think MS should combine everything and honestly look into holding a Evo type event.
I think that the best solution going foward when it comes to Esports at MS.

 

[AREYOUOKAY?]

Surely splitting up the playerbase with $15+ entry fees will solve the engagement.

 

[March Climber]

Afterr that, With MS Owning Halo, Gears. Overwatch and COD. I think MS should combine everything and honestly look into holding a Evo type event.

An Evo for shooters is an incredible idea. An idea that I feel you should find a way to share to someone in MS so that it gets considered.

 

[The Pleasure]

Im not surprised by this. The community has been disappointed with this game. The PVE cancellation basically deflated whatever air was left.
Once this MS/activision deal goes through, MS should just scrap OW league and just let it thrive under the independent scene for a year or two.
Afterr that, With MS Owning Halo, Gears. Overwatch and COD. I think MS should combine everything and honestly look into holding a Evo type event.
I think that the best solution going foward when it comes to Esports at MS.

You rang?

 

[Fuz]

You don't say.

 

[D.Signal]

remember why lawbreakers and battleborn were destroyed by overwatch? well this is happening, with overwatch 2...

 

[LegendOfKage]

All they had to do was release the exact same game as free to play, but instead they gutted every non-gameplay related rewarding element there was, and replaced it all with a really crappy battlepass. NO THANKS.

 

[balls of snow]

When Valorant comes to consoles it really is Joever for overwatch 2.

 

[Umbasaborne]

Good, glad to see a company pay the price for lying about features. Still, hope the staff is unaffected.

 

[ByWatterson]

I mean it's been out for seven years

 

[Captain Toad]

One for each gender.

I'm non-trinary.

 

[Jinzo Prime]

I'm non-trinary.

You heathen!

 

[March Climber]

When Valorant comes to consoles it really is Joever for overwatch 2.

Is there news on this? I’d welcome it but I don’t see them caring enough to make a console version.

 

[balls of snow]

Is there news on this? I’d welcome it but I don’t see them caring enough to make a console version.

Job Listing Suggests ‘Valorant’ Is Coming To Xbox And PS5 Soon

Riot Games has always said it is open to bringing Valorant to major consoles, but a new job listing suggests that they could be in the final stages of development.

www.forbes.com

Job listing and rumors are beta on the way.

 

[-Zelda-]

Nothing that 3 more gay characters can’t fix.

Watch them confirm Pharmercy now, after I no longer care.

 

[-Zelda-]

I miss when the most disappointing part of the game was the gambling.

I miss being able to teleport people off the map with Symettra. that, or ice walling off my own Mcree during his ult. the rage on the mic was precious.

 

[March Climber]

Job Listing Suggests ‘Valorant’ Is Coming To Xbox And PS5 Soon

Riot Games has always said it is open to bringing Valorant to major consoles, but a new job listing suggests that they could be in the final stages of development.

www.forbes.com

Job listing and rumors are beta on the way.

Thanks for this. If they do it they will definitely need someone to help them balance the aiming for consoles. I know this was a while ago, but the Counter Strike console versions controlled horribly due to them being 1:1 with PC aiming in the stiffest way possible.

 

[LordCBH]

Probably because it’s a piece of shit.

 

[unlurkified]

If you look at the forums, it’s almost nothing but complaints about 5v5. People hate the changes it brought, myself included. Tank players have all but disappeared at this point because the experience is just miserable. Queue times for dps and support consequently shoot up, then those players start leaving because nobody wants to wait around to play a game that’s worse than the previous one. The devs are between a rock and a hard place but they put themselves there.

 

[YukiOnna]

If you look at the forums, it’s almost nothing but complaints about 5v5. People hate the changes it brought, myself included. Tank players have all but disappeared at this point because the experience is just miserable. Queue times for dps and support consequently shoot up, then those players start leaving because nobody wants to wait around to play a game that’s worse than the previous one. The devs are between a rock and a hard place but they put themselves there.

The play experience, responsibility, and all-around lack of team play is just not worth it playing Tank. Somehow you'll be blamed cause you're alone. You can make your arguments against 6v6, but that was a meta problem. MT/OT set up allowed for some coordination. Plus you're just screwed if you have a certain playstyle and tank heroes you main.

And then there's Sym's existence.

 

[nikos]

I still play the game and the queue times are short. Seems fine from a player's perspective but I'm sure its population is declining.

 

[Pidull]

I loved Overwatch 1, but have 0 interest in 2 due to the numerous changes made to the heroes I liked to play the most over the years, 5v5, and the decision to not roll out PvE as initially promised.

I'd play Overwatch Classic in a heartbeat though.

Oh don't worry, once they see numbers fail to rebound after the Steam release, Overwatch Classic will get a nice big marketing boost and immediately release with "enhancements".

This crap is boringly predictable at this point.