On April 25, Overwatch League (OWL) graphic designer Zenofy put on twitterinvoluntarily recounts Overwatch 2’s gripping revival and Overwatch 1’s devastating decline with three serious sentences:
906 days from the date of notice.
767 days from the last new hero.
1103 days from the last new map.
The PVP Beta opened on PC 24 hours later, grossing over 1.5 million concurrent viewers on Twitch, the highest ever for the franchise.
My group of friends and I were late in the first game, but when we finally mustered up the courage to play competitively, “Beyblade” Meta was starting to fade, and “Triple Tank” was back. to standard. This was followed by a 4-year obsession with animated shorts (Honor and glory + Rise and shine is top!), expensive training apps, thousands of hours of gameplay split between playlists, and a fascinating collection of golden weapons. I love Overwatch, and even after the FPS drops when the content release starts to dry up, I still do. Damn, I was in tears watching the sequel’s launch trailer (see above). However, as details grew increasingly scarce and Activision Blizzard’s terrible office culture report launch, it is correct to assume that Overwatch 2 is delayed indefinitely. Yet here I am – years later – releasing Ana and curing my group of shells as if I had never left in the first place.
Overwatch 2 is like an arc of redemption for the whole series. In an era where the hero-shooter genre has been oversaturated with heavyweight blockbusters like Apex Legends and Valorant, returning IPs are few and far between. I’ve been playing PvP Beta for over a week now and can feel the nostalgia element. The possibility of a remake, new arenas, and controversial player count may still alienate conservative fans, while the scant information about the detached PvE mode is worrying. However, I am confident in the effectiveness of Overwatch’s tried-and-true formula.
Before the 2-2-2 casting queue, the “GOATS” Meta was hindering quick play and ranked. Crowd control moves dominate low-damage/low-damage champions with relentless stuns and concentrated firepower. Overwatch 2’s change hero revealed that individual strategies are just as important as team play. Cassidy, Mei, and Brigitte no longer paralyze enemies with flashbangs, mists, or shields. The Doomfist has been reset to a tank, focusing less on total elimination and more on aggression. Orisa gallops across the arena in a frenzy, slamming enemies with Javelin and quickly slaying any weakened target. The fearsome Bastion is more mobile and less deadly than before. And Sojourn’s power swept across the front lines with her Railgun that stored the devastating energy of her main flame. Of course, you’ll need to be able to execute your shots to build that raw power. The various character modifications intelligently create a level playing field with no team composition determining the win or lose condition of a match.
Two fewer players on the map reduces the micromanagement of the original game, making Combat 5v5 draw less. That’s because poking at chokepoints to wait for the final stack is no longer necessary as each team is limited to one Tank. Get into snowballing quickly, so placement, mechanics, and skill use are still important to outsmart your opponents. The design of Overwatch 2’s newest map and mode, Push, also contributes to the gameplay in every second. Rome’s “Colosseum” and Toronto’s “New Queen Street” contain wide alleyways, navigable storefronts, and hidden passageways. Edges are emphasized, and the tug of war goal maintains the momentum of the fight from start to finish. Interacting with these new features has resulted in some of my most enjoyable Beta experiences.
But many of PvP’s best tweaks aren’t remarkable. Synthetic Lo-fi mixed with classic fanfare, staged when Overtime kicks in. The sun setting covers familiar locales with shimmering burgundy spots, and detailed character portraits suggest a more established, mature aesthetic. New York’s “Midtown” – a future about my hometown and new favorite language – caught on with neon billboards and hover car traffic. And while I can’t help but be in awe of the love I have for the original game, it’s hard to recommend Overwatch 2 to fans hungry for a new direction. In many ways, the sequel is a new generation upgrade with some quality of life updates, from a much-needed connection menu complete with ping and other annotations to shoulder-based passwords. The role helps to increase survivability while also reducing carrying capacity. The game feels more balanced and satisfying than ever, and that’s probably enough for the current Beta.
No one could have predicted the success of Overwatch 2, but the impressive Twitch viewership numbers could herald the resurgence in popularity that the franchise desperately needs. There are enough small to mid-sized tweaks to encourage excitement (I, for one player, would be a launch day player). However, a Powerful story mode and a more nuanced multiplayer identity will be the real difference-maker.
