My life as an Overwatch fan is a paradox. On the one hand, no one is more critical of the ten-year-old hero shooter than I, but I’ve also accepted my role as number one Overwatch glazer on PC Gamer’s team—I have like two existential crises a day.
The last ten years of Overwatch have certainly been a tumultuous ride, but I’ve stayed on nevertheless, because throughout it all, I always had confidence in Team 4 that they could learn from mistakes and put their best foot forward. And they have done, not only during the latest Overwatch spotlight, which blew everyone away, myself included, but multiple points over the last few years.
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The introduction of perks and Stadium last year, alongside map voting and hero bans, was massive for the game. Somehow Stadium manages to feel like an entirely different beast while also being approachable enough for Overwatch players to just pick up whenever, with even more changes coming soon to help its accessibility.
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Perks may have seemed like a small enough change, but they actually have a huge impact on how fights unfold in Overwatch. Perks give players the golden opportunity to change how they approach fights depending on how the game is going, without having to switch characters. Are you playing Ana and keep getting dove in the backline? Pick the Groggy minor perk that’ll slow down slept enemies. Or maybe your tank isn’t fast enough to catch up to enemy players during team fights—that’s what the Speed Serum minor perk is for.
This isn’t to say there hasn’t been a fair share of missteps. The years leading up to Overwatch 2 are remembered as being stale, with few new maps or heroes introduced, and the ones that were weren’t exactly welcomed—Brigitte’s introduction, among other things in 2018, is largely attributed as the final nail in the coffin for many players.
(Image credit: Blizzard)
Then came the promise of Overwatch 2, a new start with a better hero cadence and the infamous cancelled PvE. I don’t need to tell anyone how that went (not well). There was also the removal of loot boxes, which meant players could no longer earn cosmetics for free, although this has now been reverted. But, controversial as it may be, I stand by the fact that Overwatch 2 was not a failed idea.
Changing to 5v5 was better for the game, introducing more streamlined teamfights, and making tanks actually feel like a tank, the core pillar of a team. It also made the game more competitive, which I think is one of Overwatch’s strengths. That’s not to say 6v6 doesn’t have a place—clearly, it does as it replaced open queue. But again, Team 4 listened to community feedback while also trusting their gut, and the game is better for it. Now we have the chaotic fun of 6v6 and concise fights in 5v5.
Changing how seasons were approached also gave players a consistent timeline for new content, like heroes and maps, while giving the devs enough time to ensure each new addition worked properly on release, partly through doing new hero trial weekends. Ok, not everything went well (Clash), but by and large, the new hero and map additions were a success. I’m talking about Samoa, Push, Vendetta, Juno, Wuyang, and Junker Queen, just to name a few.
(Image credit: Blizzard)
The crucial thing that has always given me hope is that Team 4 has and continues to show a willingness to reach out to the Overwatch community and actually change things if they’re clearly not working. Clash was removed from the competitive map pool, and now will be gone from quick play as well. Stadium’s competitive change to fewer rounds was reverted within 72 hours. Alongside having a very impressive hero balancing track record, considering how large and complex the roster has become.
I suppose I’m in a lucky spot in that I’ve been able to talk to some of the developers a few times, and in those conversations, I’ve seen the passion that they hold for Overwatch, its story, characters, and community. But I also think that passion comes across in all the updates, vlogs, and community posts. It’s clear that Team 4 wants to work with its players to make Overwatch as good as it can be.
But good intentions and actual execution are two entirely different things. Which is why I’m so happy to see all the fantastic new features Overwatch has lined up for players in this next stage of existence.
I not only think dropping the ‘2’ lifts the burden of impossible expectations off its shoulders, but a refocus on one of Overwatch’s greatest strengths: its story, alongside five new heroes, and a UI update, has me more excited for the game now more than ever. Overwatch figured out how to walk again over the past year or so, and now it’s running.
