I’ve Put 1,000 Hours Into Overwatch — Here’s What I Want From Overwatch 2

So many people are focusing on what the story might be, or how a campaign might look based on the tidbits of lore we’ve garnered from short films and comics. I’d like to learn more about Reinhardt, sure, but that’s not what Overwatch 2 needs to be. It needs a refined combat loop that offers you the same thrills of Competitive play, but in co-op

Overwatch 2 events will forever and always be a shooter classic, but my heart sinks when I think about how its once pristine legacy has been dragged through the dirt in service of a future that right now still seems so unclear. I formed so many memories around long nights experimenting with new heroes or diving into seasonal events with life-long friends by my side. Few games have ever managed to ignite that sense of passion within me, and that alone is an achievement worth celebrating. Now, as the servers prepare to switch over for good, I’m left mourning the empty void that once defined an entire part of my life.

By the merit of the title alone, Overwatch 2 would seem to be an outright sequel , rather than a marginal expansion or batch of DLC packs. Yet, the fact that we currently only have the reveal of a single new heroin Sojourn (with the potential of the robotic Echo as well), it tends to look more like the latte

Put it this way: I’m a Reinhardt main. I want to use my shield to close distances and control engagements. When I spot an opening, my job as main tank is to communicate that to the rest of the team so we can push forward as a unit. Ideally, the engagement process will go smoothly and I’ll have a support player keeping me healthy while I swing my Rocket Hammer as if I’m a massive, precision-engineered beyblade. I’ll synchronize my Earthshatter with a DPS ult so we can team kill and lock down the po

Overwatch’s biggest strength is how good its characters feel to play. Unfortunately, playing them online can feel unrewarding, specifically because of how toxic its player base is. Fortunately, Overwatch 2 has a unique opportunity to rectify this by offering the same high-octane gunplay without forcing you to hemorrhage SR purely because people on your team are being total dicks. It doesn’t need a complex story, or a million maps, or anything like that. All it truly needs is a basic, solid structure like Mass Effect 3 had, where you can run wild with your favourite heroes and use abilities to your heart’s cont

Games like Apex Legends and Fortnite have really shown the awesome potential and appeal of an epic, exciting battle-royale. While a hero-based shooter like Overwatch doesn’t tend to mesh with this more equalized style of FPS, in which everyone starts at ground level, Blizzard could certainly make it w

Blizzard briefly mentions elemental abilities and how they affect enemy animations. But these damage types — like «freeze damage» and «electrical damage» — change how enemies behave and how Heroes can attack them. For example: on Reinhardt’s Talent page, Blizzard shows an ability called Icy Pains. It reads: «Charge deals 150% more Pin damage to Frozen enemies and keeps enemies Frozen while they’re Pinn

Borderlands allows players to control one of many playable characters in the world , with Lilith being one of the series’ most iconic characters who has remained a staple of the games since the very first entry. She takes on the role of the Siren in the first game and plays a pivotal role in the story for the sequels, with her character being a highlight of each game in the ser

Overwatch 2 was announced much too early, likely to pave over controversy at the time surrounding the company and its many scandals. We were given an awkward glimpse at PvE content that wasn’t ready for the spotlight in the slightest, while progression systems linked to certain characters have been dumped entirely in the version coming next month. Blizzard didn’t know what it wanted the sequel to be, and it still doesn’t, so we are stepping hesitantly into a future where I desperately hope this hero shooter can earn its place. The original game is being shut down as it arrives, with its younger sibling intended to replace everything it stood for as heroes, cosmetics, and everything else is carried across as part of a hopefully seamless transition. I’ll miss what is being left behind, and so will many others.

We also need to talk about loot boxes, since Overwatch was responsible for increasing their popularity outside the mobile space. Ultimate Team was already a thing, but Blizzard showcased how easily cosmetic items could be monetised through random packages of goodies earned by either levelling up or buying them outright. I had friends who would set aside entire evenings during seasonal events to grind for boxes, hoping that Blizzard would be kind enough to let a legendary skin fall into their laps. None of them were playing for fun, instead waiting for that brief hit of serotonin that comes with a rare drop. Or they could spend money, and as the profits have long shown, so many of us went and did just that.