Popular hero shooter Overwatch is also known as OW is coming to an end.  

Developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, the game bought the 'hero shooter' revolution in Esports when it was released in 2016. It has two teams consisting of six players competing against each other in an arena with a time-limited objective. 

OW balanced teamwork and strategic map placement with the action-filled chaos of a first-person shooter. Players selected a playable hero from one of the three classes namely Tank, Support, and Damage each having a specified role. 

Since its launch, OW has introduced many free heroes and maps with the only monetized aspect being the cosmetic loot boxes. The game is ready to be replaced with Overwatch 2 that will bring back the heroes and maps while introducing new characters to the series. 

After more than six years of PvP hero shooter action, OW is coming to an end.  

This is the reason why Overwatch serves will be shutting down on October 3, 2022, or October 4, 2022, depending on the region at the following times: 

October 3, 2022 

• 9:00 am PDT 

• 12:00 pm EST 

• 5:00 pm BST 

• 6:00 pm CET 

• 8:00 pm GST 

• 9:30 pm IST 

October 4, 2022 

• 1:00 am JST 

• 2:00 am AEST 

The OW server shutdown will be followed by a 27-hour server downtime for maintenance, followed by the release of OW2 on October 4, 2022. What should players expect from the sequel? 

OW2 was announced back in 2019 with a trailer. The changes to the sequel are the PvP element switch from 6v6 to 5v5, reducing one of the tank slots. 

Launching with a roster of over 35 heroes from the first game, OW2 will carry over all unlocks from its prequel. Blizzard has already introduced three new heroes, Sojourn, a Canadian officer, Junker Queen, the ruler of Junkertown, and Kiriko. 

The game is developed on an upgraded engine from the first title that allows larger maps that are integral to the new PvE modes. It will have at least two PvE modes, where four players will team up against NPCs on larger maps. 

One PvE mode will be based on a story mode tied to the lore and will have certain heroes. The other will be based on hero missions where players will confront a wave of enemies. 

The free-to-play aspect, with the redesigned 5v5 competitive element and PvE missions, sounds exciting. However, the player base is not sold on certain aspects of the new title, such as the method to unlock new heroes and SMS integration. 

OW2 will be released on October 4, 2022, on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Battle.net. The game will support cross-play across all platforms, and players can jump right in and try out the new title at launch.