Overwatch 2 Story Length Hinted at by Blizzard

Unlike Overwatch, Overwatch 2 will have a PvE story campaign when it hits PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch. And according to Blizzard it's not going to be an afterthought or something players can conquer easily and quickly. It will be meaty, and is a big reason why Blizzard is calling the game a proper sequel and not pitching it as an expansion or DLC. More specifically, according to Blizzard designer Jeff Kaplan, the reason Blizzard is calling this a sequel is because it's too big to simply be an expansion or DLC.

"I play a lot of games. I can't think of a single DLC or expansion of this magnitude," said Kaplan while speaking to The Washington Post. For now, Kaplan and co. aren't divulging just how big or long the game's campaign is, but Blizzard insists players will get $60 worth of content. "[It will be] a complete story experience like you would expect from any AAA blockbuster game."

Of course, what "a complete story experience like you would expect from any AAA blockbuster game" looks like, isn't clear. Mortal Kombat 5's campaign is five hours long. Meanwhile, God of War is 25 hours long, and games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are even longer. In other words, saying something will be as long as a AAA blockbuster game doesn't really give any indication on how big or long it is. That said, presumably Kaplan is talking about within the context of AAA shooters. If this is the case, then the campaign will probably be 7-10 hours long.

As for why Overwatch 2 is adding story content, it's simple: the demand is there.

"There are so many people who are deeply engaged with our characters because we've put these heroes at the forefront," said Kaplan, talking about the need to expand Overwatch with story content. "They would love to engage with the characters in a way that is a little bit less high pressure to them. So we felt like, you know, if we could deliver one really massive feature to our fans, it would be to blow out the co-operative side of the game."

Overwatch 2 is in development for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and presumably next-gen consoles. At the moment of publishing, there's been no word of a release date. Meanwhile, for more coverage of the game, click here.