The eagerly-awaited hero-shooterOverwatch 2finally arrived in October of 2022 and came in the form of a game update to the original base game for those that already owned it. This has divided the player base, as some fans feel thatOverwatch 2is more like DLC than a brand-new sequel.
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Although it may not be noticeable at first, it is clear that Blizzard has been working hard behind the scenes onOverwatch 2.Since the first limited beta andOverwatch 2’s official launch, Blizzard has made significant changes, like changing thegame’s dynamics to 5v5 instead of 6v6. There have also been some subtle improvements to the beloved FPS genre to improve the quality of life for veteran players while piquing newcomers' interest.
10Transitioned To Free-To-Play!
Overwatch 2haslaunched as acompletely free-to-play gamewhen players previously had to pay for the original base version. This is an excellent move by Blizzard as it brings more new players into the fray without them having to open their wallets. Since becoming free-to-play,Overwatch 2has dominated Twitch viewership, reaching audiences of over 50 thousand people daily, revitalizing what was once previously considered a “dead game.”
Overwatch 2also supports cross-platform playon PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch, making it more accessible to new and old players, so no hero is left behind. The WatchPoint Pack and Battle Pass will need to be purchased with real money, but these only have cosmetic benefits.
9Practice Range
Overwatch 2also catersto beginner players of the FPS genrewith its practice range. Here, players can take on the eleven hostile AI-controlled robots in a calm and stress-free environment to test out new heroes, practice their skills, andadjust their in-game settings like their crosshair reticle. These bots perform various actions, like staying still, shooting, and patrolling in a rotational pattern.
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The industrial training facility features four friendly robots for support characters to practice on, likeMercy’s Resurrection. There has also been a new and much-needed addition to the Practice Range. Players can now summon a stationary AI enemy hero to practice their skills on.
8New Gamemode And New Maps
Overwatch 2veterans will remember the controversial Assault 2 Capture Point mode (2CP), where the attacking or defending teams attempted to capture or protect control points across the map. These maps often frustratingly resulted in matches lasting over 20 minutes and would also often be a draw with no changes to the player’s rank.
Thankfully,Overwatch 2has replaced 2CP with theall-new Push Gamemode. Two teams of five players battle to gain control of a robot. Similar to Payload maps, players must escort the robot as it pushes their team’s colored barricade to the opposing side of the map to win. These matches can last up to ten minutes, going into Overtime.
7Easier Communication
Communication, teamwork, and synergy are crucial to winning team fights inOverwatch 2to help players coordinate their attacks.Overwatch 2features many forms of communication, including a team match chat and voice chat.
Overwatch 2hasdebuted a brand-new ping systemthat players may be familiar with from other games likeLeague of Legends to improve overall team coordination.The ping system allows players to pinpoint objectives or call out other in-game elements. This is especially helpful for supports being able to communicate when they are being harassed by an enemy flanker or to warn the player’s team of a potential Ultimate.
6Seasonal Content Releases
To keepOverwatch 2fresh and exciting, Blizzard has promised to adhere to a seasonal content release schedule and keep a close eye on in-game fairness to ensure no characters are overpowered. This is a big step up from the originalOverwatch,which had yet to see any major content updates since 2020.
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EachOverwatch 2season will last nine weeks alongside its purchasable battle pass, ensuring players have enough time to climb the ranks and complete their battle pass. Each new season change will bring either a new hero or a new map, with Blizzard aiming to do this in an alternating pattern. These new additions should ensure that the meta is constantly changing to prevent stale gameplay and attract new players. Blizzard will also release season-specific events, like Halloween and Christmas
5Removal Of Constant CC
With constant hero rebalancing and reworks, one of the more subtle changes toOverwatch 2is the removal of most in-game stuns and crowd control (CC) abilities. Stuns were an impactful gameplay mechanic in the original game, as these could cause the interruption of most hero abilities and Ultimates.
Replacing CC abilities makes Overwatch more beginner-friendly and less punishing, emphasizing movement-impairing and knock-back abilities instead. For example, Mei’s Endothermic Blaster no longer freezes enemies in place, but it instead slows them by 50%.D.Va’s Boostersalso knock-back any enemies nearby, which can be used to knock them off the map.
4Role Passives
The introduction of role passives inOverwatch 2gives each role a distinctive game advantage.Overwatch 2also encourages players to be more flexible with their choices, allowing them to retain 30% of their Ultimate charge when they switch to a different character.
Damage heroes get a 25% boost to reload speed and movement boost when they score an elimination, encouraging aggressive playstyles. Tank heroes can hold their ground, as their passive grants them a 30% knock-back resistance and a 50% reduction in Ultimate charge, so they cannot be “farmed” by the enemy team.Support heroes can now regenerate health outside combat, so they cannot be chipped away by the enemy team and can still engage in the fight.
3Tanks Are The Team Leader
Back in the originalOverwatch, Tank heroes were divided into two unofficial categories: Off-Tank and Main Tank. With Blizzard’s decision to transform thegame’s team composition into teams of 5v5, there is now only one Tank to lead the charge.
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This decision has made skirmishes much more manageable and organized, with Supports only having to focus on keeping one Tank alive. Thesolo Tank also becomes the technical team leader,meaning the team should follow suit whenever the Tank leads a push. If the Tank dies, players should fall back and regroup with their Tank to coordinate their attacks.
2Armor And Overhealth
Overhealth has been introduced toOverwatch 2, representing temporary health gained by some abilities and Ultimates. Overhealth is a green bar added to the player’s base health points.
Players can gain Overhealth from Lucio’s Sound Barrier or Brigitte’s Rally, and Overhealth decays over time. While it doesn’t offer any damage reduction, Overhealth reduces Ultimate charge gained by the enemy by 50% when it is damaged. Armor has also seen some recent buffs, as it now reduces all incoming damage by 30% instead of flatly reducing it by five points like in the first game.
1Increased Mobility
Blizzard wantsOverwatch 2to become more fast-paced as increased mobility has become the meta for Season 1. Mercy can now super jump and reach new heights with ease, Bastion is no longer a stationary Tank-shredding turret, and Tracer and Genji are just as irritating and mobile as ever,
The three bonus additions to the roster, Sojourn, Junker Queen, andKiriko, each new hero has some form of mobilitythat allows them to traverse the maps' terrain. All maps inOverwatch 2have high vantage points, and this increase in mobility allows more characters to utilize them, making for more diverse gameplay.
Overwatch 2is free-to-play on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
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