Overwatch developer Blizzard has confirmed that while Overwatch 2 is still expected to release on Nintendo Switch, developing the shooter for Nintendo's system is "a little more challenging than some", and the team may "make some compromises".
The news came courtesy of an Overwatch 2 AMA on Reddit, in which key members of the development team took time to respond to fan questions about the hotly-anticipated sequel. Although it was posted a short while back – and garnered 3.2k comments – it's taken a little while to work through them all.
"As hardware has advanced since the launch of Overwatch, we are extending the OW2 engine with more high-end features," John Lafleur said, responding to a "solely Switch player" on Reddit who wondered how the Switch version would be able to keep pace with PC and console (thanks, TheGamer). "However, we're also working hard to make sure all of our platforms get the best experience, even in PvE.
"Switch is a little more challenging than some, and we'll have to make some compromises there," the technical director added. "For that reason, some of the higher-end visual enhancements might not be visible, there. We'll focus on making sure all of the gameplay-related features get in, first, and then accentuate with additional features as much as possible."
Lafleur didn't elaborate precisely on what kind of compromises that might entail, but the quote above certainly intimates Switch will prioritize performance over "higher-end visual enhancements".
The AMA also confirmed that cross-progression would only become a priority once cross-play was fully functional and that the team "can't promise" that the Switch version of Overwatch 2 will release at the same time as the other versions.
Talking of cross-progression and cross-play: Overwatch crossplay is finally a reality, five years after the game's release. Unfortunately, there's no cross-progression, so keep that in mind when making plans to team up with friends.
The advent of crossplay is likely part of Blizzard's lead-up to Overwatch 2, which has new co-op PvE modes that would benefit from crossplay capabilities. Plus, with new PvP game modes like Push, it'll be nice to join in the fun with players across platforms.
As we explained at the time, Overwatch seems to be taking a very specific approach to allow players to team up across various platforms. The current lack of cross-progression is disappointing, not to mention missing opt-out options for PC players, but at least competitive matches will remain evenly matched. You can find more details in the newly minted Overwatch crossplay FAQ, and don't forget that Overwatch 2 maps will feature dynamic times of day and weather.
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