Overwatch 2 is finally out after much anticipation from the Overwatch community. Initially, Blizzard decided to close the original Overwatch game, as they believed that the whole game needed an overhaul. These alterations ranged from different hero roles and gameplay to how the game’s loot system worked. They also managed to introduce a new combat pass system that gave players guaranteed cosmetic items and even heroes when they reached certain levels. On top of all this, Blizzard has also decided to make this game free by adding microtransactions that players can spend to unlock even more cosmetics. Many of the changes in the game were met with approval by most players. Many also foresaw that the player base would expand even more, given that the game became free.
However, since the first season has just ended and the new season has just arrived, many began to notice that the quality of the game began to deteriorate. Because of this, many began to react to this, once again stating that Overwatch 2 is about to die. In fact, this isn’t the first time the fall of the original Overwatch has happened in much the same way. There were a lot of complaints about the game that Blizzard couldn’t solve. In addition to this, the Overwatch esports league, the Overwatch League, has suffered from various controversies and scandals. With that in mind, what then could be the reason that the doomsayers reappeared?
Looking at the various opinions posted by the community on Twitter, you can narrow it down to two reasons. The first reason will be the current meta of the new season. With the start of the new season, many players expected to see radical changes that would shake up the meta and make the game fresh. This is a particularly important factor, as it was one of the reasons Blizzard had to shut down the original Overwatch and work on Overwatch 2. Secondly, the gameplay in the matches just stopped being exciting. Players have noticed that the uniqueness of each hero’s kit is starting to fade, as Blizzard simply transfers the kits of other heroes and simply modifies them. Players feel that each hero no longer has a factor that makes him unique.
With these reasons in mind, let’s see if what these players are saying is true regarding the current issues the game is facing and how Blizzard can fix it.
Meta
When it comes to complaints about meta, there is a lot of criticism about its current state and how it focuses on creating teams that can “kill” opponents with one hit. According to many, this type of meta does not attract or amuse in any way, because it does not give opponents the opportunity to even play the game. In addition, there have been complaints that this current meta is simply outdated, since there are almost no differences in gameplay or team composition since the first season. Some even go so far as to say that it has become worse, as the lineups of the teams begin to be built around very specific heroes. This is a bad sign for the game, given that the goal of the game is to have different strategies between the teams, but given the way things are currently going, it seems that Overwatch 2 is currently moving in the opposite direction.
Despite all the negativity surrounding the current meta, it’s not too late to revive Blizzard and get Overwatch 2 back on track. They can start by looking at how they have developed some of the current heroes. Despite the major overhaul they did when transitioning to Overwatch 2, some heroes, both old and new, have design elements that made them too powerful for the game. A simple makeover or restructuring of a Hero’s equipment can help keep them in check while maintaining their individuality. They could also look at how the team dynamics work with these heroes and see if it contributes to building teams around these specific heroes. Summing up, it should be said that Blizzard needs to make radical changes to the work of some of these heroes.
Gameplay
If we talk about the gameplay of Overwatch 2, at its basic level it is very similar to how the first Overwatch was played. However, during the transition, some of its most basic aspects were changed or clarified. For example, the roles of some heroes were changed because they felt they fit the role better. The influence of roles has also become more defined, as Overwatch 2 has paid a lot of attention to what makes a hero part of that role, and how to play a role of which the hero is a part.
At the beginning of the first season, these changes were highly appreciated by the players. However, over time it became obvious that there were some problems in the system. Firstly, the way roles were distributed and the number of people in each team put a lot of pressure on one specific role. Tanks will play this role. They should bear the brunt of the team as the initiators of the games, as well as the defenders of the team. Putting both of these responsibilities on them makes it difficult to find a balance between them. There is also the fact that most top-level tanks tend to have prolonged stun, which contributes to the outdated meta that many complain about. While stunning does help the team, stunning all the tanks does make them feel less unique. In addition, there is a difficulty in performing the most common role of traffic police. While there are some DPS that are easy to master, most top-level DPS in Overwatch 2 require a lot of knowledge about the game. This knowledge ranges from how to play your set correctly, to knowing the mappul and to knowing how to play with the team. Overcomplicating this role may scare off some new players.
With these issues in mind, Blizzard still has a way to fix these gameplay issues with Overwatch 2. First of all, the number of roles limited to three can be a bit limiting. By increasing the number of roles, Blizzard managed to solve some existing problems. With the additional role, the tanks could fulfill their duties of initiating this new role. DPS can also focus more on dealing damage rather than thinking about other things. As for other issues, Blizzard may also consider diversifying its crowd control capabilities. Currently, there are several top-level tanks that do not stun, but perform some other form of crowd control. Blizzard should take notes about these types of characters and try to apply them to others.
With all that said, these are just reports and statements from the current player base. The number of active players may have decreased since the release of Overwatch 2, but in general this can be explained simply by the fall of the game after it became new. The new season is in full swing, and it remains to be seen whether these fortune tellers are wrong or they have been right all this time.
