Highlights
- Overwatch 2 has introduced new heroes to shake up the meta and provide more options for team composition, although it may make balancing more difficult.
- Overwatch 2 has adopted a seasonal model, offering new maps, game modes, and cosmetics every 9 weeks, along with the introduction of new heroes to keep the game fresh.
Overwatch 2 hasn’t had the easiest road to arrival. The game has had a heap of altered decisions in the lead-up to release, but even when Overwatch 2 hit the competitive hands of gamers excited to embark on their PvP and team-based battles, they could certainly see a fair few changes the game had made since its initial launch.
Overwatch 2 has changed since its release, and it’s up to players to determine whether that is for the worse or for the better. Some changes are essential to keep the game alive and encouraging for new players, whereas others, simply add new content to help evolve Overwatch 2 since its launch.
8 New Heroes
The last hero to grace Overwatch was Echo, a fun character for fans to pick, but one that would have to last them well over a year, as it wasn’t until the release of Overwatch 2 that fans received a new hero. Every few months, Overwatch 2 happily releases a new hero that helps to shake up the meta. In fact, Overwatch 2 has seen an influx in support characters, as the addition of Kiriko, Lifeweaver, and Illari means more of a selection for healer characters.
New heroes in Overwatch 2 means more freedom of play when it comes to the team composition, it also means that Overwatch 2 can continue to grow with its roster of characters. Although, all these characters may make a meta balance harder than it once was.
7 Lack Of PvE Content
The original concept of Overwatch 2 promised a PvE campaign, one that would feature the hero roster in combat scenarios, completing missions dedicated to an overall narrative that the PvP side of the game lacked. However, despite initial promises and conversations, this concept was eventually scrapped in 2023, the same year that this content was supposed to release.
Now that this system has been abandoned, and Overwatch 2 takes its time to flesh out the PvP side of things, many were disappointed at the lack of change to Overwatch 2. However, for those still in the mood for a PvE style, the recent Overwatch 2 Invasion season has provided some co-op PvE missions to play.
6 Season Content
Overwatch 2 quickly adopted a seasonal model that befits most live-service games. As a free-to-play title, Overwatch 2 makes its money through people purchasing the Season Pass and in-game currencies to purchase skins. Long gone are the era of loot boxes that tore many gamers apart due to the dilemma of whether it was gambling or not. However, with this new seasonal model in place, Overwatch 2 added more flexibility in what the game could offer.
Around every 9 weeks, a new season would be introduced. Players would have access to a new map or two, potentially a new game mode, and a bunch of new cosmetics to unlock. Even better still, is that every couple of Battle Passes, a new Overwatch 2 hero would emerge, ensuring a new competitor to the evolving roster.
5 All-New Gamemodes
To keep things moving, Overwatch 2 features new game modes that evolve the way players experience the maps in Overwatch 2. One of these game modes, Push, involves two teams fighting it out to control a robot and to help it push its payload to the other side of the map, it’s essentially a tug-of-war match.
Game modes like Push are a great new addition to Overwatch 2, and the developers even have another game mode set to debut in August 2023 called Flashpoint, although details are sparring. It is set to become another core PvP game mode, adding to the list the fun activities players can compete with.
4 Goodbye Roadhog
One of the most intense changes of recent memory came from the nerf, or, rebalance of Roadhog. This violent tank character in Overwatch 2 was a menace and has been since his introduction into the series. At his earliest iteration, Roadhog was able to use his hook to pull players practically across the map, with no way to stop his instant kill move thanks to the hook and shotgun.
However, with Overwatch 2, Roadhog has been nerfed heavily, and players can rest assured knowing that if they get hooked, it’s not a complete death sentence. Roadhog’s gun won’t instantly kill them, meaning, although survival may be scarce, it is still possible.
3 Ever-Changing Meta
Overwatch 2 receives constant updates, whether minor or major. Most seasons for Overwatch 2 start with a new update that will tweak and change things that people like and dislike about the best heroes in Overwatch 2. These changes are essential in keeping the game alive, and the meta ever-changing so that not every fight is the same, and not every hero is overpowered.
There have been some instances when a balancing update has ruined characters, by making them far too strong or far too weak. Yet, the fact that the meta is constantly changing as the development team of Overwatch 2 tries new ideas, shows that it’s a better system than just creating a class.
2 Ping System
A game like Overwatch 2 requires constant teamwork. Players shouldn’t try to get into a fight and solo the enemy team, as it will just result in a bad time for everyone. However, since most players are not comfortable communicating via their mics with each other, especially in more casual games, then the ping system introduced in Overwatch 2 is the next best thing.
With the ping system, players can warn each other of dangers. Whether it’s an erratic Junkrat, a time-skipping Tracer, or even the position of the healer. Players also have options for call outs, allowing them to tell their team with their ultimate is ready, or if they need healing.
1 5v5
With an evolving meta, comes new team formations. Long gone are the times of 6v6, and the era of 5v5 reigns supreme in Overwatch 2. Players can’t just rock into battle with 5 of the same character or of the same class, as these 5v5s are split into even positioning. There will always be 2 support, 2 attack, and 1 tank, this means that unlike before Overwatch 2, only 1 tank main can enter the fun.
This makes team composition tighter, and less beefy, as the lack of an extra tank means that players can’t rely on the frontline to push through. However, it’s also worth noting that the change to 5v5 has provided tanks with weaker benefits, such as health reductions that were once unseen.
Overwatch 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.