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Part of me is curious to see where new modes and additions will appear when the first big seasonal update rolls around, or if Blizzard has something more experimental planned for a hero shooter that is relatively by-the-numbers right now. But when it comes to the user interface experience, I gotta give this thing top marks.

But by essentially disabling the first Overwatch, Blizzard is fucking over people who paid money for the game. It doesn’t matter if they get free content for owning the first game - it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t still play original content you specifically paid for. I don’t care if Overwatch 2 is bigger and badder than ever before! When I buy a game, I’d love to be able to play that game. And if you’re shutting down a game’s online capabilities, at least be honest about it. Don’t talk like you’re doing people some grand favor.

One element that Overwatch 2 will seemingly have in spades is an abundance of cooperative missions and full-fledged hero missions. Not only will we get to play with newly introduced upgrades, but we'll get to live out cinematic stories that play an important part in the already rich, expansive lore of Overwatch . These will take place following Winston's call to reunite the Overwatch 2 challenges t

Which begs the question, if everything is going to be added into the first game, why do we even need a sequel? From the sound of things, it seems like Overwatch 2 should have been DLC instead of a separate full-price rele

Even when (mostly) paying people back for their purchases on Stadia, Google is still showing it barely cares about its users. Not every game will allow saves to transfer. Hell, some games specifically designed for Stadia are now in limbo. Quick reminder - the people on the ground making these games are often creative folks who just want to bring something nice to the world. I’m not criticizing the engineers who made Stadia work or the artists and designers who make Overwatch look and play brilliantly. They deserve praise and probably better pay. Which, again, is funny considering these are all greedy companies sucking in dollar bills.

Overwatch getting shuttered and Stadia getting taken behind a woodshed isn’t the apocalypse. Most titles on Stadia already exist elsewhere and Overwatch 2 appears to be a real video game. This isn’t the end of all things. You can be excited about Overwatch 2 while still admitting it’s a crappy way to treat fans. The suits at Blizzard and Google (I know it’s "Alphabet" or whatever now, but come the fuck on) don’t care about you. Maybe that’s a cliche, but it’s worth remembering because it’s going to only happen more as the "take the money and run" strategy plays out. They’ll promise and swear that your purchase will be good and playable for the foreseeable future and then take that shit away the moment it’s convenient.

Overwatch 2 comes across as something that could have been a massive patch for Overwatch 1 . It's fantastic that players will get every multiplayer add-on from the new game, but releasing a sequel that's pretty much the same with a few new bells and whistles seems more like a mandate from Activision than an artistic choice from Blizz

For the first couple of years, Overwatch was unstoppable. Each new hero was a major event, hyped up with months of speculation as players tried to guess who was coming our way next by digging into the game’s files or drawing from small clues left behind by Jeff Kaplan and friends. Sombra, Doomfist, Orisa, Ashe, Ana, Moira, and Brigitte were all big deals, igniting imagination across the fandom with how their relationships intertwined with the existing roster and how their position in the narrative would come to play an important role.

Despite locking certain modes away until new players have earned them, actually selecting what you want to play and jumping into a game is seamless. Much like the title screen, not much here has changed when compared to the first entry. Things are simple and easy to read, while updating character designs have been thrown onto each icon and pop with real visual flair. With any luck, PvE will be an option on this menu in just a few short months.

There’s also the porn. Oh my goodness there was so much porn. Overwatch porn hit harder than Tory austerity in a low-income council estate on the outskirts of Birmingham. I suppose it’s a testament to how much we loved these characters that fans were able to create detailed animated films of their main being drilled into oblivion. I respect that dedication, yet it also highlights how blatantly sexualised so much of the cast was, with many of their designs intentionally drawing in the male gaze with conventional body types and poses drawing our eyes to very specific parts of the body. Most of the girls were clearly designed by dudes.

But, you might be thinking, "Sure, Blizzard may be making it impossible to enjoy the game you bought while forcing you to play a different game - but can’t you still be Mercy in Overwatch 2?" And the answer is, "Yes, but who gives a shit?" Oh, goodness! What a fucking deal! If I paid money for the original Overwatch, I get the courtesy of unlocking all the characters I already paid for ? Talk about a good value! Thank you, Blizzard, sir! Thank you! What is going on here? Why is this cool with us?