LIZZARD is a busy man. The corporation has barely partially cleaned house, and the leadership is a poisonous nightmare from a garbage dump (hello, Bobby Kotick!). The competitive and casual game environment is less certain since it hasn’t lived up to the Overwatch League’s grandiose expectations. Additionally, Microsoft is also attempting to acquire Activision Blizzard, which would further concentrate the gaming sector but may eventually aid in saving Blizzard from itself. Blizzard published Overwatch 2 in the midst of all of this, taking a daring gamble that marginally updating the venerable multiplayer success would be sufficient to keep it relevant in a new era of pervasive online gaming.

Although Overwatch 2 is a “sequel” to the team shooter featuring cartoon characters, you could mistake it for the first version that debuted in 2016. Some issues are novel. Instead of 6v6, 5v5 is now the primary mode of play. Kiriko, Junker Queen, and Sojourn are the first three new heroes, with more coming in following seasons. You may play with these new heroes on a few brand-new settings, including Toronto, New York City, and Monte Carlo, as well as in a brand-new reverse tug-of-war game mode where you compete to drag a big jogging robot the furthest. Additionally, there are graphical upgrades that will likely be more noticeable to Overwatch 2 PC players than to people like me who play casually on last-gen consoles (I know), or to anyone who is so overwhelmed by Blizzard’s signature particle effects that they can barely tell what’s happening half the time (also me).

From Battle Passes to treasure boxes

The transition of Overwatch 2 to free-to-play is arguably the largest change here and the reason why, controversially, you can’t play on previous Overwatch servers. Epic’s Battle Pass and Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode hadn’t yet become wildly popular when the first Overwatch was released.

When playing the original Overwatch, you would level up and gain access to randomised loot boxes, or you could pay real money to acquire them. In order to compete with games like Fortnite, Valorant, and Apex Legends, Overwatch 2 has adopted the seasonal Battle Pass model, which charges players a monthly fee in exchange for unlocked benefits like skins and voice lines.

Surprisingly, I enjoy the Battle Pass approach in principle. For casual gamers who drop in and out for a few months here and there or for anyone attempting to persuade friends to try out yet another new game, going free-to-play is wonderful. Additionally, the yearly progression provides casual players a sense of advancement. Though some could argue that treasure boxes handled this just as well.

The Overwatch 2 battle pass doesn’t yet provide anything to look forward to. One issue is that Overwatch only has 35 playable characters. Unlike games like Fortnite where everyone may use any skin. The chances of their being something juicy in the Battle Pass for everyone are slim because each stage offers just one skin and many gamers specialise in one hero or a short rotation of heroes. It’s strange that, while purportedly introducing a brand-new game, Blizzard didn’t come up with any more inventive methods for players to aesthetically personalise their characters beyond mementos, which, despite playing for hours, I’ve still not even noticed. The non-skin unlockables aren’t any better either.

It’s fantastic that some players may be enthusiastic about the Battle Pass. But it’s obvious that Blizzard is only attempting to get everyone to purchase skins from the shop. The larger player base hasn’t shown much enthusiasm for it so far and has been actively encouraging individuals to save their money in an effort to teach the firm a lesson.

The skins in Overwatch 2’s store are constantly changing, but many of them used to be available for free through loot boxes. Which made the game overall lot more enjoyable. I only played Overwatch consistently for a few months in the past. So I was astonished by how many skins I ended up with that are now frequently sold for $20. Which feels much too expensive. Especially for items that you used to be able to obtain through game play.

Even a special skin for the inaugural Halloween Overwatch 2 event which. You can get by following streams on Twitch—is the same Winston werewolf. Halloween skin that was available in the game in late 2016. Activision Blizzard is undoubtedly in a state of anarchy at the moment, although much of this seems forced given that the game is so recent. Having said that, the skin is adorable (werewolves! ). And despite my abject failure at Winston, I’ll be streaming Overwatch 2 since I don’t own it.

Three new heroes provide fresh gameplay options

The core of any Overwatch game has always been its cast of characters, and the latest instalment introduces three new heroes in Sojourn, Junker Queen, and Kiriko.

The three female heroes—one a tank, one a DPS, and one a support—nicely complete the ensemble. Particularly Kiriko, who plays like a cross between Moira and Genji (or even Zenyatta). Feels like a lot of care went into her design. She offers the support role some good mobility options by having the ability to fly across the battlefield on cooldown to follow other players.

The skill ceiling is obviously high in this case (she can heal and hurl mini-daggers at the same time! ). Thus Kiriko will have a wide range of potential uses. With the former delivering an extremely mobile power slide and DPS that is similar to Soldier 76 and the latter presenting. A damage-over-time tank with a clever Mortal Kombat-style knife toss that draws foes to you. Sojourn and Junker Queen also have entertaining kits and appear promising.

Aside: As a devoted WoW player, I believe that Blizzard has always had an odd attitude to non-Western civilizations, particularly Asian ones. Please understand that I like Kiriko, the new Japanese support character. She is a young woman, a badass, and a true ninja.

Her brief animated film is excellent. Culturally speaking, though, it’s all a touch over the top: Kiriko’s last manifestation summons a fox spirit that carves a road out of Torii gates. And her healing manifests as those tiny paper fortunes you get at shrines. In addition to Kiriko, the new Black female DPS hero goes by the moniker “Sojourn,” and it’s difficult to believe she has no connection to American abolitionist Sojourner Truth. But she’s Canadian, so…

Perhaps all of this representation is acceptable in a game whose subject is “cartoon characters from many nations” in the absence of a more complex one, but it’s still important to discuss.

As a queer person. I’m ultimately happy that the game has LGBT characters, even if they are just hinted at initially. There are probably many various feelings that people have regarding this!

5v5 and other modifications to the gameplay

In contrast to Overwatch, which pitted teams of six players against one another. The game now has five players: two supports, two DPS, and a tank. You’ll be down a tank from what you’re used to if you’re queuing for certain positions in competitive mode. And don’t mindlessly enjoy the craziness of open queue like I do.

As a result, despite the goals, the games seem speedier and more like a team deathmatch. It’s still very early for a live service game that will continue for years. But support players in particular seem to be more displeased with the new style of play. There isn’t a second tank to assist soak up damage and shield against flankers — and the short wait time for support reflects that.

In Overwatch 2’s competitive rankings, regardless of your skill level, you will have to start afresh. All players begin in bronze and can move through the skill levels by accumulating wins. And improving their own performance in some unfathomable way. Instead of giving you immediate feedback while you play. Overwatch 2 now reevaluates your skill rating every 7 victories or 20 defeats. The every-seven-games technique has personally helped me concentrate on approaching each game with a clear head and a positive attitude. In order to rapidly obtain my seven victories rather than overanalyzing what went wrong with each defeat. This feels great to me as a casual player who didn’t really really play competitive mode back in the game’s early days. But I can see how making the system even more opaque would irritate those who are motivated to advance.

The play of the game, which is whatever the computer determines to be a hero’s greatest moment, endorsements for players you liked. And a new stat block breaking down fatalities, eliminations, damage, and healing done make up the post-game experience now. For better or worse, the scorecards that highlighted individual play are no longer available. And the new data summary doesn’t call out anyone.

It’s usually a nice choice for folks who don’t want to suffer through in-game conversation with a mic. Even though it seems like a lot of people haven’t fully worked it out yet. Blizzard also implemented a new ping system that allows you inform teammates about things like opposing players and your next actions.

The symbol that displays players as “on fire” following successful runs is also missing, however it appears that it will return.

The game is still enjoyable at the end. Although there is still a tonne of complexity in this game, the most of it is mechanical. It involves becoming used to new characters and discovering their playing strategies. But it’s uncertain whether Overwatch can last another six years without starting over with something entirely new. I have enough to do, but I haven’t played Overwatch in five years. During which time devoted Overwatch players worked hard to make the game as good as it could be.

What’s the next step for us?

With Overwatch 2, Blizzard can gain some ground, but it shouldn’t even be in this situation. People are now just waiting. But seasonal releases and an upcoming PVE feature that certainly should have been in the game. At launch will lessen the pain of selling people the same game again and over as a subscription.

There is such a thing as being excessively cautious. Blizzard needs to balance the competitive landscape. But staying in the past won’t help Overwatch 2 compete with rising rivals like Apex Legends. Which people appear to be generally lot more interested about these days.

Can a game endure another six years with so little change in it? I play a lot right now but I’m not sure if I’ll still be playing in six or even three months. A few weeks away from launch, things don’t seem promising.

It still feels like Blizzard could have done a lot more here. Even with worries about balancing a game that depends on adjusting 35 very different playstyles across objective-based maps. Fortnite only has weaponry to worry about, but the visual style of the game frequently varies from season to season. Making it hard for me to log out for five years and then immediately log back in to the same experience.

In a game like Fortnite, my curiosity about new content usually prompts me to purchase a Battle Pass. Which is invariably packed with entertaining material that feels gratifying.

Beyond the formulaic holiday content that has been present in the game since launch, there are a number of aesthetic additions that may make Overwatch 2’s seasons seem more “seasonal.” Themed seasons similar to Fortnite or even Destiny would at least add a bit more variety for the casual gamers. That Blizzard appears to be so eager to attract with its free-to-play strategy. Even the updated menu lacks personality and is a lifeless dull grey. A far cry from the vibrant ensemble of people at the game’s core.

At the end of the day, you need to at least offer folks something to be excited. About if you want to capitalise on users after you’ve said “aha. Here is our new game!” and sold them the old game.