Overwatch launches for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC today, but Blizzard Entertainment already has its eyes on the first content update for the first-person Hero Shooter. The game’s Competitive Mode was pulled for rework, but the wait for its return shouldn’t be long, according to a Facebook Q&A session with the developers.
Competitive Mode was first added to the Overwatch beta in April. As the name suggests, the mode is geared towards matching players of similar skill level against one another. It allowed players to rank up through various divisions and tiers in month-long seasons with rewards such as sprays, icons, and voices.
The mode will return to Overwatch in the first content patch tentatively planned for late June. Game Director Jeff Kaplan announced the release window with some hesitation, but detailed some of the changes and future content coming to the shooter.
Seasons in Competitive Mode will be lengthened from one month to three months. The actual playtime will likely be closer to two and half months with a couple of weeks off in between seasons.
More game modes are also on the way to Overwatch, though an exact release window was not announced. Blizzard is prototyping different game modes with some likely to debut in the Weekly Brawls playlist. This playlist option gives the developers a chance to experiment and test different ideas before potentially adding them to the regular playlist hopper.
Overwatch fans should expect more of the animated shorts to come in the future, as well. The “Hero” short released Sunday, featuring Soldier 76, concluded the first season of shorts. Future shorts will continue to expand the lore of Blizzard’s new universe along with the existing comic book series and an upcoming graphic novel.
Those jonesing for their Overwatch fix will see the game go live at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. You can find the complete launch schedule here and look forward to our review soon.
