Blizzard plans to introduce a guild system in Overwatch 2 sometime after the multiplayer shooter launches later this year.
Responding to fan questions in a Reddit Overwatch 2 AMA (ask me anything) thread (opens in a new tab), the game's development team was asked about new social systems coming to the sequel. One player specifically wanted to know if there were any in-game clans or tournaments coming up.
“We are looking to add more social systems to Overwatch 2, and a guild system is a priority for us,” game director Aaron Keller said. "A feature like this is a huge opportunity and something we're very excited about, but it's a huge boost, not just for large sections of our team, but for various other departments at Blizzard. We've been working hard on this feature, but it's too early. to talk about details or when it might come out.
Keller went on to say that in-game tournaments are "something the team is starting to dig into." He did not provide details on what they would look like or when they will appear.
(*two*)
(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)Why are guilds coming to Overwatch 2?
Players have long been asking Blizzard to implement a guild system in Overwatch. A formal clan mechanism would allow players to more easily coordinate matches and organize group matches with rival parties. It would act as another social system, making it easy to find players online to partner with if you're desperate for a game.
A guild system would also open the door to more competitive possibilities. The guilds are likely to tie into the tournament system that Keller mocked in this AMA, with guilds competing for titles and prizes. Add to that regional and global guild rankings, as well as persistent guild rankings, and you have a whole new competitive area of the game.
With Blizzard offering Overwatch 2 as a live service title, the developer is likely looking for as many ways as possible to keep players engaged between seasonal updates. Player-led guilds seem like a simple way to do this by increasing community involvement.
There are no details yet on when the guild system will come out, but we do know that it will come after Overwatch 2's new PvP component launches into Early Access on October 4. The PvE element of the game will be released later next year.