“It was a challenging but essential period that we had to navigate to get where we are today,” explained Walter Kong, Blizzard’s live service chief, during a recent press briefing. “I don’t believe we could have bypassed that stage. Reflecting on those years is exhausting, but it’s exactly what allowed us to push Overwatch into the future.”
While the move functions as a soft relaunch, Blizzard insists that removing the “2” isn’t an admission of defeat. According to director Aaron Keller, who described Overwatch as a “forever game,” the rebrand is intended to reassure the community that they won’t be forced into another sudden migration anytime soon.
“From our community’s perspective, many tell us that the game is in the best state it’s ever been. We often hear that Overwatch has finally ‘earned’ the number two,” Keller noted. “So, this isn’t about admitting failure—especially when players are telling us we’ve hit our stride.”
“Because we view this as a long-term, ‘forever’ project,” Keller continued, “we want to eliminate any anxiety our players might have about when the game will eventually be replaced by an Overwatch 3.”
In other news, Blizzard recently addressed why its latest hero designs lean toward a specific aesthetic, attributing the trend to technical limitations rather than a deliberate attempt to make every character “hot.”
Source: gamesradar.com
