On stage at BlizzCon 2019, Overwatch Game Director Jeff Kaplan had no trouble confirming the past leaks this week were true. Overwatch 2 was happening, and it’s the next big phase for the franchise. Jeff introduced a cinematic video that finally moves past the iconic moment where Winston calls Overwatch back together. Forming a team with Mei and Tracer, the small team goes up against the Null Sector in Paris. Check out the short “Zero Hour” below.

The short shows Echo, who was last seen in the McCree and Ashe short, “Reunion”. It also shows Reinhardt, Brigitte, Genji and Mercy answer Winston’s call. At the end, Overwatch was officially reinstated, and the Overwatch 2 logo was revealed. After the animated short, Jeff came back on stage to introduce a gameplay video for Overwatch 2. Check it out below.

The gameplay trailer revealed that Overwatch 2 would have more focus on story and PvE modes. Players can take part in 4-player story missions and hero missions, utilizing what looks like a Watchpoint Gibraltar hub. All 31 of the characters from the first game will return, sporting new updated looks. In addition to the previous characters, the game will also add new ones, including Sojourn, and presumably Echo. Players will also be able to level up their heroes for the previously mentioned hero missions, gaining new abilities along the way.

The gameplay trailer also introduced a new PvP mode called Push, which Jeff later confirmed would be a part of Overwatch League. New maps will also be available alongside the ones in the previous game, making Overwatch 2 utilize the previous foundation. Better yet, players of the original Overwatch will be able to bring their progress into Overwatch 2. That means all their unlocked cosmetics will carry over with them. Interestingly enough, it also appears that players of the original Overwatch can play multiplayer with Overwatch 2 players. How far this goes is uncertain, but it’s an interesting strategy that Blizzard is using.

It seems that Blizzard is ready to move onto the next phase of Overwatch, and it’s clear they plan to make it big. The game will release for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, though there’s no release date yet. Fans at BlizzCon 2019 will be able to play the Rio de Janeiro story mission as well as the Push mode to get a taste of the new content. Are you excited for Overwatch 2? Are you curious about the way Overwatch players will be able to stay playing with players of the sequel? Let us know in the comments.