This review originally appeared on IGN Middle East
The biggest question around Overwatch 2 during the beta was if this game really felt like Overwatch 2.0. Yes, there were some character changes and game dynamics that made the game feel fresh again, but it was puzzling as to why Blizzard didn’t just update the original Overwatch with the new content instead.
It became more and more apparent as time went on that Overwatch 2 was designed to be a goliath on its own, and with the game finally out in the hands of players, there’s a lot to take in. Blizzard have tried their best to drag Overwatch out of its stalemate and bring some much-needed life to the franchise, and for the most part there’s quite a bit to be excited about. On the flip side, Overwatch 2 brings with it some core changes that seem detrimental to the true spirit of Overwatch and will feel crushing to new players.
The biggest change to start with is how teams are composed. While Overwatch launched with six players per team in any combination of the three roles, this was eventually changed to the ‘2-2-2’ role configuration of two tanks, two damage, and two support. Overwatch 2 changes this once again, dropping the second tank to bring the teams to a 5v5 composition. While this may not sound like much, it makes a very apparent change to how games are played and shifts the focus to other team members.
For example in original Overwatch, one tank could be tasked with keeping up a strong line of defense while the other could be more aggressive and help clear away enemies. With just a single tank in Overwatch 2, that strategy is not a smart one, and you’re forced to decide to either play as a defensive or aggressive tank. For tank players that’s a lot of responsibility – should your tank fall in battle, your team can quickly be steamrolled by the enemy team if you’re not careful. DPS characters now have to stay closer to their tank to help dole out damage and keep enemies at bay, while supports continue their mission to keep everyone alive. It’s a frantic power struggle that spans every map and game mode in Overwatch 2, and just might be the drastic change that the game needed.
Another improvement in Overwatch 2 is the introduction of a new Push mode – this pits players on a map with a robot in the middle. When the match begins, players rush to take control of the robot and push a barrier towards the enemy base. This mode feels extremely frantic and is a true tug-of-war between each side. It’s a fitting replacement for the game’s Assault mode, which has been removed along with its three corresponding maps. Competitive play has also had a rework, now offering a much more balanced system of tiers to make players feel more at ease in their skill bracket. Player endorsements and profiles are also now simplified, eliminating the constant ‘I have gold damage’ trait in team chat.
But part of the original charm of Overwatch was always its hero roster, which launched with 21 and now boasts 35 heroes to choose from. Overwatch 2 launches with three new heroes – one from each role – and Blizzard are committing to a much more frequent hero release with Overwatch 2. This is partly what caused stagnation with Overwatch – for a game that focused so much on different heroes, the release content soon dried up as attention turned to Overwatch 2. Overwatch 2’s new heroes bring the focus back once again, with each of them offering fantastic abilities and play styles. Sojourn is a highly mobile DPS, capable of quickly jumping in and out of battle while either slowing enemies or sniping them from afar. Junker Queen is an aggressive tank whose personality and look match her dominating play style. She can quickly tear through an unsuspecting team and is definitely a tank hero to be wary of playing against.
Lastly, Kiriko is the latest hero to be revealed and is a support hero that can instantly teleport to an ally to heal them and help boost their abilities with her ultimate. If these three heroes are just a preview of what Blizzard has in store for Overwatch 2’s heroes, then players can certainly look forward to even more imaginative heroes in the future. Even current heroes have gone through some major reworks to make them more playable – the most notable being making Orissa a more aggressive non-shielding tank and turning Doomfist from a damage-wielding powerhouse to an agile tank character.
There is of course a major change that has divided the fandom since it was announced – Overwatch 2 will move to a free-to-play model with a Battle Pass system. While this is a common business direction for games to take, it feels like an odd fit for a game like Overwatch. Blizzard have stressed that it’s still possible for players to enjoy Overwatch 2 without paying for the Battle Pass, but that’s merely just to pacify fans. In truth, anyone paying the $10 for the Battle Pass each season will instantly unlock any new heroes that have been announced that season – for everyone else, they’ve got to level up their Battle Pass by winning games until they unlock the hero at level 50.
There are 80 levels in total to unlock, and some rewards will always be locked behind the paid tier. So if there’s a particular skin or emote that you like, chances are you’ll have to end up paying for it to own it. Blizzard has said that future events will be held that can unlock previously released characters, so if you’re vehemently against spending any money on this game, you’ll just have to wait it out. On the other hand, if you’re too lazy to bother levelling up your Battle Pass by winning games, you can spend a little over $100 to unlock all 80 levels via the in-game store.
With the free-to-play model Overwatch 2 also introduces something called the New Player Experience. Anyone who’s playing the game for the very first time will go through a basic tutorial with Soldier 76 that briefly explains movement, abilities, and ultimate abilities. After this, you’ll have to play five games in Quick Play in order to unlock other game modes such as Custom Games and Arcade. While that doesn’t sound like a bad way to get new players introduced to the game, it does take a drastic turn.
While current Overwatch players will have access to the full roster of heroes, new players will only have a handful of heroes to choose from and will have to play up to 150 games to unlock all of them. On one hand that seems like a fair trade-off for a game with zero price tag, but on the other hand it’s an incredible amount of grinding to unlock heroes that you probably don’t want to play. The heroes seem to unlock based on how popular Blizzard thinks they are – one of the early unlocks is Genji who is notoriously difficult to play, which makes little sense. The grind through unlocking the entire hero roster is a chore, and ultimately will force frustrated players to pay for hero unlocks instead.
This all feels extremely counter-intuitive to what Overwatch felt like when it first launched. A game that was so full of fun and spirit has traded innovation with the cookie-cutter template of becoming a money farm like so many other games tied to a Battle Pass mechanic. Of course, there are going to be plenty of players who will pay for these unlocks without a second thought but speaking as someone with over 1,000 hours in this game, it doesn’t feel quite right.
There are other things to mention as well – Blizzard’s much-hyped Mythic character skins are less interesting than we thought. The first one will be released for Genji and will allow players to choose from a few stock patterns and colors to try and make their character stand out. Many of us thought we’d have far more customization options than this to truly make a character look unique – akin to what you can do in a game like Destiny 2 for example – but it’s not to be. There’s also the introduction of weapon charms, banners, and in-game souvenirs, but again these add little variety to warrant unlocking.
Perhaps the biggest frustration to be had with Overwatch 2 is that PvE will not release until 2023. It was a feature that Blizzard promised would add some much-needed action to the game, but there’s no visible timeline as to when it’s going to be in players’ hands. Overwatch’s lore has always been a mixed bag – a few cinematic releases and comic drops do not tell a story, and the hope is that PvE remedies this in the future. The seasonal events are also set to make a return but are often so repetitive that a single playthrough is enough.
Toxicity has been a huge problem for Overwatch, and Blizzard is cracking down hard with Overwatch 2. For starters, all accounts need to have a verified mobile number attached to them, which eliminates a majority of smurf players who would buy the game when it went on sale and then proceed to play Quick Play or Competitive matches to throw off the matchmaking. Overwatch 2 will also take player reports more seriously – any time a player is reported, the game will transcribe audio recordings of the match and send it back to the team for analysis and disciplinary action. Both of these protection measures have drawn mixed reactions, but it’s a small step to improve player experience in Overwatch 2, especially with the inevitable surge of new players that are trying out the game for the first time.
Overwatch 2 brings enough changes with it to breathe new life into the franchise. Fans who have long been frustrated at the lack of content will appreciate Blizzard’s renewed optimism for Overwatch, and it’s going to be a challenging few months ahead to see how the game does after the initial hype dies down. For returning players there’s enough of a shift in the game’s core gameplay and heroes to keep you occupied and adapting your play style in each match. But for new players, the hurdle to unlock the entire roster may seem a bit daunting at first, especially if they’re playing solo.
Then there’s the Battle Pass implementation and the lack of PvE at launch, both heavy talking points that will shape how the game will fare in the coming months. For now, Overwatch 2 is a cautious upgrade that hopes to capture the hearts of both veteran players and new ones, with bold promises for the future.