Home Gaming Overwatch 1 and 2 will eventually merge clients to avoid splitting the playerbase

Overwatch 1 and 2 will eventually merge clients to avoid splitting the playerbase

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The sequel to the incredibly popular competitive shooter will launch under different clients but eventually unite under a single launcher

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The thing about multiplayer focused games releasing sequels is that there’s instantly a fear that the servers of the original game will be shut down, essentially forcing people into newer versions of the game their either don’t enjoy or don’t own. Hell, even players just wanting to experience some of that good ol’ fashioned nostalgia of their favourite game before the sequels is a factor as World of Warcraft Classic players can no doubt attest to. It seems this is the decision behind Blizzard’s decision to eventually merge the clients of Overwatch 1 and 2, ensuring that no players are left behind if servers for Overwatch 1 are eventually shut down.

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So said Jeff Kaplan to Kotaku, clarifying why the team made the decision to unite the games’ clients. “We think this is important, especially as a competitive experience. The whole idea is to avoid fragmenting the player base and giving anybody a competitive advantage,” said Kaplan. “If we’re playing in the same competitive pool, you’d better not have a better framerate just because you’re on a different version of the engine.”

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That being said, Kaplan was also quick to reassure Overwatch 1 owners that the game is not dead, but rather in a state of stasis as the team focuses on developing Overwatch 2. Now that the news that the game is set to receive a sequel, the team can now be open and honest that the reason the seasonal events and updates of Overwatch 1 have stagnated to the point that they have is because Blizzard has been hard at work developing this new, snazzy version of Overwatch. That being said, players of the original don’t need to worry about being left behind as Overwatch 1 will continue to receive meaningful updates and will, eventually, merge clients with Overwatch 2.

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Kaplan lamented the fact that servers for games get shut down, saying “We’ve all seen when the servers shut down on X, Y, or Z game. It’s always a story. I always remember the Halo 2 players who just wouldn’t log out. They kept it up. I thought that was so awesome”. At least Overwatch 1 players won’t need to keep their devices logged in for days on end to keep the game going.

Last Updated: November 11, 2019

11 Comments

  1. Son of Banana Jim

    November 11, 2019 at 15:52

    At least, for all their pr mistake, Hello Games wasn’t this greedy and just released the Beyond update because they knew it was the right thing to do.

    Reply

    • Pariah

      November 11, 2019 at 15:52

      Well they released many updates before that too. Beyond was only one step in their process to making the game all it could be.

      Reply

  2. Pariah

    November 11, 2019 at 14:52

    My main question in all of this – why would people spend money on the 2nd game then? If they just wait it out not only do they not miss out, but they’ll eventually get basically the same thing?

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      November 11, 2019 at 14:53

      People will buy it for simple things like exclusive skins, just look how much money their cosmetic loot boxes make.

      Reply

    • Geoffrey Tim

      November 11, 2019 at 17:25

      Overwatch 1 will have charm, but it’ll never have the engine updates, the graphics updates, or the PVE story based and co-op stuff. If your goal is just more of the standard Mp, then sure, stick with the first game.

      Reply

  3. Son of Banana Jim

    November 11, 2019 at 15:51

    This used to be called a relaunch. I really hate what Blizzard has become, they’ve certainly embraced that Activision hellbound evil.

    Sorry chaps, you’re on my boycott list (go join Bethesda on the log of shame)

    Reply

  4. SagatatiaRZA

    November 12, 2019 at 05:55

    I’ll get it because I love pbe content and enjoy Overwatch lore but it just feels wrong to launch this as a sequel. I feel it should be all or nothing if you make a sequel.

    Reply

  5. SagatatiaRZA

    November 12, 2019 at 05:55

    I’ll get it because I love pbe content and enjoy Overwatch lore but it just feels wrong to launch this as a sequel. I feel it should be all or nothing if you make a sequel.

    Reply

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