'Overwatch' Halloween event might be a disappointment. Blame 'Overwatch 2.'

October is in full swing, and that means Overwatch’s fourth annual Halloween Terror event is just over the horizon. The spooky celebration has traditionally brought new hero cosmetics and seasonal game modes, but fans expecting a bucketload of Halloween content might be sorely disappointed this year.

A majority of the Overwatch community online was let down when the the 2019 Summer Games appeared to have been recycled from previous events. It added a handful of new skins, but featured the same alternative modes (Lucio Ball) from years prior. Halloween Terror 2019 might be more déjà vu for veteran players, and the rumored announcement of Overwatch 2 is likely to blame.

Blizzard is anticipated to reveal the sequel to its team-based shooter during BlizzCon 2019, which kicks off on November 1. Industry analysts expect the yearly gaming conference in Anaheim, California to see the reveal of some major future titles.

Those estimates line up with Kotaku’s report that said Overwatch 2 would be Blizzard’s “marquee announcement” at BlizzCon 2019. The rumored expansion is expected to focus heavily on a PvE campaign mode and, potentially, a new batch of characters.

Blizzard might be shifting resources to prepare for Overwatch 2. This would naturally result in less seasonal content. After BlizzCon, the way Overwatch will grow could drastically change. In fact, the game has already seen some minor tweaks.

Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan told YouTuber Tom ‘Stylosa’ Stewart in an interview that this year’s Summer Games would be “very different.” That turned out to be an underwhelming event, which could spell the same fate for Halloween Terror. But the company could make up for this with an impressive BlizzCon 2019 showing.

It’s possible that the Overwatch team will begin bundling together big content drops and hero additions into expansion packs, much like World of Warcraft. If these announcements are big enough — say multiple new heroes, maps, and overall game enhancements — they could come every year or every other year.

The seasonal events would then become slight sprinkles of new skins and reoccurring mini-games to hold players over as they wait for the next expansion. Again, this would be a lot like the World of Warcraft seasonal events, which have remained essentially the same for over a decade.

Multiple Overwatch team members have teased new heroes in the works. A massive reveal at BlizzCon 2019 could make up for the seasonal events that have fallen flat recently and get fans excited for what the game has in store more than four years after its initial launch.