Hero-shooter Overwatch has been a persistently popular global phenomenon since its initial launch in 2016, but that success means it's a frequent target for cheaters. Thousands of Overwatch players utilize cheat software and other things to get an unfair advantage in the game, but now Blizzard has taken action against a significant chunk of them. Blizzard and NetEase have banned 34,433 Overwatch accounts in China during the first half of 2020 alone.
This is according to Daniel Ahmad, Senior Analyst at Niko Partners who is an expert on the gaming industry in China. Ahmad added that Overwatch has sold an impressive 10 million copies in China, and is considered one of the country's most popular "buy to play" games. Considering how successful Overwatch is in China, it makes sense for Blizzard to crack down on accounts that are cheating in the game, as it may drive away some of its dedicated players.
With Overwatch over four years old at this point, though, it's safe to say that there are many fans who have already moved on from the game and on to other titles. Blizzard is likely hoping that it can win back those lapsed players with the release of Overwatch 2, which is rumored to be launching at some point in 2020.
If Overwatch 2 releases in 2020 as rumored, then fans should learn more details sooner rather than later. After all, we're already in the second half of 2020, and Blizzard has yet to nail down a release date for the highly anticipated game. BlizzCon 2020 is canceled as well, so it's not like Overwatch fans will necessarily have to wait all the way until November to learn more about Overwatch 2.
If Overwatch 2's release date is in 2020 as expected, fans will be able to look forward to a full-fledged story mode, more PvE content, and the addition of a brand new PvP mode as well as new maps, characters, and more. If all goes as planned, the launch of Overwatch 2 could be a huge event for Blizzard, and very well succeed at convincing those that have moved on to give the game another go.
Hopefully more information on Overwatch 2 comes sooner rather than later. In the meantime, fans can expect Blizzard to be just as aggressive at banning cheating accounts in the sequel as it is with the first game.
Overwatch is out now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
