Overwatch Season 1: Is it enough to relive the glory days?

Overwatch 2 is not any extra, as Blizzard has dropped the two altogether for an all-new rebrand. The sport has gone again to simply being Overwatch, and with the identify change comes a whole refresh. The season – known as Overwatch Season 1: Conquest – focuses on the theme of Talon’s rise to energy. Overwatch 2 was not as favoured as the unique Overwatch, however is the contemporary begin with Overwatch Season 1 sufficient to relive the golden years of Overwatch? 

Earlier than we get into the Overwatch season 1 modifications, let’s first check out the timeline of the Overwatch sequence. 

When Overwatch 2 was launched, it confronted negativity as a result of dev workforce’s determination to scrap the deliberate PvE mode and the costs of in-game cosmetics. This was very completely different to Overwatch 1, which made acquiring skins very accessible should you put within the work and performed persistently. As an illustration, I’ve been an Overwatch participant since November 2016. I used to be capable of gather an enormous quantity of Legendary skins just by enjoying usually. Loot bins may be purchased again then, however spending actual cash wasn’t the one approach to get your fingers on the perfect cosmetics.

When Overwatch 2 launched, I ended up spending silly quantities of cash to get skins that might have as soon as been obtainable by simply enjoying the sport. Sure, Overwatch 2 was now free to play, however charging gamers upwards of $50 for skins borders on the ludicrous, particularly contemplating the sport’s earlier construction. In fact, you don’t must spend cash. Nevertheless, for these of us who’ve been round since Overwatch’s beginnings, and people used to the company money seize design of free-to-play on-line video games, it’s laborious to not succumb to the temptation of spending your cash. 

The brand new rebranding of Overwatch isn’t altering the monetisation parts massively, as the sport remains to be free to play. Nevertheless, the modifications Overwatch 2 made all through its life have made the sport extra viable in the long term, reminiscent of the brand new Perks system and the Stadium recreation mode. It doesn’t really feel fairly as unhealthy spending cash on the sport due to this content material, and the brand new and improved Overwatch appears to be specializing in doing much more for the participant to no less than attempt to justify a few of these pores and skin costs. 

The Overwatch Season 1 update has led to loads of modifications to the sport’s construction, with guarantees of extra to return to solidify the sport’s future. Let’s check out a number of the most notable modifications. 

The most important shock with the reveal of Overwatch Season 1 within the Overwatch 2026 Spotlight video was that there could be 5 new heroes playable instantly when the season dropped.  The brand new heroes are:

One factor of Overwatch that followers have been longing for years is extra narrative content material. With the reveal of Overwatch Season 1, a brand new cinematic was launched known as “Reign of Talon”. The cinematic units up the place we’re within the story on the time of Overwatch Season 1. Set 10 years after the Blackwatch Retribution missions, Vendetta – daughter of the previous Talon chief – takes down Doomfist and forcibly takes over her father’s prison organisation. Doomfist is presumed useless. Vendetta reigns over Talon, and it’s later confirmed that Widowmaker, Sombra and Reaper are now not Talon operatives. 

The narrative significance may be felt within the recreation, too, such because the Colosseo and Rialto now donning Talon banners. The Overwatch story arcs have turn out to be an integral a part of the sport moderately than an afterthought. Faction campaigns are additionally now accessible, which permits gamers to select a facet – Talon or Overwatch – and full missions to earn rewards regarding their faction. 

Overwatch will now deal with structuring seasons across the lore, with new heroes changing into extra frequent. Loot Packing containers are additionally making a return, as they are often earned extra simply and extra usually. There are additionally loads of modifications to sure hero skills. Make sure to take a look at the latest Overwatch Season 1 patch notes for extra data on all of the modifications. 

So, are these modifications actually sufficient to convey again the golden days of early Overwatch? Actually, I don’t suppose so, but it surely’s as shut because it’s going to get. Blizzard managed to seize lightning in a bottle after they launched Overwatch. It was hailed as among the finest video games of 2016, and there’s no doubt that with out it, we wouldn’t produce other hero shooters reminiscent of VALORANT or Marvel Rivals. 

That being mentioned, the hero shooter style has turn out to be oversaturated since 2016. It’s laborious for any recreation to actually stand out among the many plenty, even a recreation like Overwatch, which was an OG. Nevertheless, I do suppose Overwatch will proceed its comeback due to the Season 1 modifications. The sport has already seen a huge return of its player base. I personally have performed Overwatch extra within the final week than I’ve in months. Can the sport return to the way it was in 2016? No. Can it brush off the controversies of Overwatch 2 and preserve a longtime participant base? If it continues as strongly because it has with Season 1, then sure, it most definitely can.