'Overwatch' Developers Explain Why A Sequel Is Not Yet In The Pipeline

In the surging success of video games designed based on Battle Royale themes, it is remarkable how a multiplayer shooter such as “Overwatch” manages to, not only maintain its fanbase, but also gather support from more gamers by the millions.

In celebration of “Overwatch’s” second anniversary, developer Blizzard entertained roundtable discussions through Assistant Game Director Aaron Keller and Senior Game Producer Matthew Hawley. And in an interview with GameSpot, both developers provided insights on the possibility of “Overwatch 2.”

To people who are eager to see an “Overwatch 2” release, Hawley and Keller’s responses might be underwhelming. Ultimately, the developers did not dismiss the possibility of a sequel but they did not have any particular news about it either. If any, they have implied that developing an “Overwatch” sequel is not a priority for the studio at the moment.

“We dip our toes into different areas here and there with the Archives event and Junkenstein. But I think our focus is really on keeping the community engaged with the 6v6 shooter that we have on the live service,” Hawley said.

Keller, on the other hand, shared that the “Overwatch” team has become “significantly bigger” but added that developers are still tied in maintaining the game’s live service and developing new contents like gameplay maps and playable characters. “At least for the time being, [supporting Overwatch] is our focus right now, and we're excited to work on this game,” Keller added.

The popularity that “Overwatch” has achieved within two years since it was released in the market is largely due to the continuous flow of new contents that keep its fans excited. In time for “Overwatch’s” second year, Blizzard announced that the game has acquired over 40 million players.

Gamers might have also noticed that Blizzard is yet to jump into releasing Nintendo Switch and mobile versions of “Overwatch.” A lot of major video game companies have taken advantage of Switch’s own massive market success. This resulted in the launch of several AAA games scaled down to run on Switch and allowing players to enjoy them while they are on the go. Meanwhile, Battle Royale-themed games like “PUBG” and “Fortnite” have also landed on mobile platforms in the previous months.

In “Overwatch’s” case, Blizzard remains open in bringing the game to these platforms but nothing is apparently certain yet as Hawley reiterates, “The core development team is focused on supporting the live game."

Currently, “Overwatch” is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.