Since April 26, 2022, the PvP beta of Overwatch 2 has been playable. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus has extensively played it since then. After initial skepticism and even a rage quit, he can’t seem to get enough now. And this is despite the fact that the game does only a few things differently than its predecessor.
I have played roughly 10 hours since the beta started. Of that, I have certainly complained for about 3 hours, how annoying everything is, before I could enjoy any moment.
Overwatch 2 is a big change, even though everything feels absolutely familiar. The same maps, the same heroes, and yet a completely different game feel. How does a game manage to reinvent itself and do it well?
At the moment, only the PvP modes are playable, so the full game is not yet available. But already, it shows how different Overwatch 2 will really be, even though it remains somehow the same game at its core.
The story trailer for Sojourn serves to set the mood for the new game:
Overwatch 2 is a completely new game with little change
What is new? The beta patch for Overwatch 2 brings several new features, which could also just be patch notes for a larger update. These include:
- Reworks of several heroes such as Bastion and Doomfist
- A new hero: Sojourn
- Push as a new mode that replaces attack along with new maps
- Minor balance adjustments
- Each role (tank, healer, DPS) now has special properties
- A new UI and the famous ping system from Apex Legends for better communication
So why does one have to create a new game for such an update? It’s due to how these changes eventually integrate into the game.
How does the game change? Actually, there is only one really big change that Overwatch 2 brings in PvP: the speed. A fight is resolved much faster than in the predecessor. The reason for this is that there are now only 5 instead of 6 heroes per team.
The change to 5 players per team is enormous. Overwatch 2 plays more like a fast-paced old-school shooter and less like a large hero battle. A team now consists of:
- one tank
- 2 healers
- 2 DPS heroes
This means that each team lacks a proper chunk of combined health points. Additionally, many shields of numerous tanks have been completely removed from the game, and the ones that remain are significantly weaker than before. The result: fights end faster, as less damage is sufficient to wipe out teams.
And this is exactly where Overwatch 2 suddenly becomes a completely new game. Anyone used to the fights from the predecessor must quickly adapt to keep up.
Faster and more intense – But you need to get used to it
This is how Overwatch 2 feels: While a fight in Overwatch can last up to a minute or even longer, during which opponents dance around each other with ultimates and skills, in Overwatch 2, the outcome is usually decided within a few seconds.
Heroes die much faster, most skills have shorter cooldowns, and almost all heroes deal more damage. Additionally, the life of a single player is more important. Winning a 4 against 5 match is significantly harder than a 5 against 6.
This makes flanking attacks more important, but also the choice of your heroes. If you can completely counter an opponent, it might be more important than building large synergies with your own ultimates.
You are essentially always in combat and still need to try to fulfill the map objective. Unlike in Overwatch, where teams sometimes face each other forever until both sides have charged their ultimates to then decide with a big bang who wins.
How hard is the adjustment? It takes some time to get used to how fast everything is. I often cursed how quickly critical hits from the opposing Soldier could send me to the ground.
The meta has been completely shaken up by the change and there are new heroes at the top, some of whom were previously treated as absolute troll picks:
In the end, all of this is not much harder than adjusting after a new update with reworks of some heroes. If you still remember the switch between tank, dive, and GOATS meta – it’s somewhat like this.
Overwatch 2 changes the meta, just a bit stronger than any update before. If you embrace it, you will certainly have fun in the new part as well. And you can simply carry over your experience so far,
Overwatch 2 remains fundamentally the same game
If you are now worried that you won’t be able to handle Overwatch 2, I can reassure you. Most maps are the same, heroes are also nearly identical. You can even carry over your skins from Overwatch.
From my experience, the most important thing is still knowing your hero and all others. If you know which opponent can and will use which ability at what time, you have a huge advantage.
That was important in Overwatch and is even more crucial in Overwatch 2. Unlike in the predecessor, you don’t have to focus so much on the synergy within the team anymore. Your own performance counts more – your own death punishes your team harder.
Anyone with previous experience in Overwatch has an advantage here. If you know the maps and strategies, you can use them in Overwatch 2 as well. Most modes are still identical, and in the end, it still comes down to winning as a team.
The same applies to your abilities with your favorite heroes. If you are already a pro with Widowmaker, Moira, or Reinhardt, you will also be among the top players in Overwatch 2. Only the heroes that have been completely reworked will, of course, need to be relearned. But luckily, there is the “closed beta,” which is still somehow open to everyone.
A “Closed” Beta for everyone, but not yet complete
How can I play?
Officially, Overwatch 2 is currently in closed PvP beta, which you can only access by invitation. However, there was a guaranteed beta access if you watched on Twitch.
The model has taken cues from Valorant, where it has worked excellently. You don’t need to own the predecessor; you will get a demo version for the beta. However, in the beta, you can only play PvP and only the standard mode. Other content like Arcade is missing.
The drops are now disabled again. However, there have been several waves in Valorant already. So it’s possible that you will still get another chance for an invitation. There are no official details yet. The beta will run until May 17.
What’s coming in Overwatch 2? The main selling point of Overwatch 2 is actually the coveted co-op mode. Here you should play your heroes in some kind of campaign and even be able to level up.
However, there is currently no menu option for this mode in the beta and no hints. How exactly this will look remains to be seen – also whether the campaign would justify a new purchase.
When is the release? A release date for Overwatch 2 is still open. Many rumors suggest a release only in 2023. As soon as we know more about the release and the price, you will find out here on MeinMMO.
If you are waiting for the release and don’t want to spoil the fun with the beta, you will find the currently best shooters on the market here:
The 15 best multiplayer shooters of 2022 for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox
You are essentially always in combat and still need to try to fulfill the map objective. Unlike in Overwatch, where teams sometimes face each other forever until both sides have charged their ultimates to then decide with a big bang who wins.
How hard is the adjustment? It takes some time to get used to how fast everything is. I often cursed how quickly critical hits from the opposing Soldier could send me to the ground.
The meta has been completely shaken up by the change and there are new heroes at the top, some of whom were previously treated as absolute troll picks:
In the end, all of this is not much harder than adjusting after a new update with reworks of some heroes. If you still remember the switch between tank, dive, and GOATS meta – it’s somewhat like this.
Overwatch 2 changes the meta, just a bit stronger than any update before. If you embrace it, you will certainly have fun in the new part as well. And you can simply carry over your experience so far,
Overwatch 2 remains fundamentally the same game
If you are now worried that you won’t be able to handle Overwatch 2, I can reassure you. Most maps are the same, heroes are also nearly identical. You can even carry over your skins from Overwatch.
From my experience, the most important thing is still knowing your hero and all others. If you know which opponent can and will use which ability at what time, you have a huge advantage.
That was important in Overwatch and is even more crucial in Overwatch 2. Unlike in the predecessor, you don’t have to focus so much on the synergy within the team anymore. Your own performance counts more – your own death punishes your team harder.
Anyone with previous experience in Overwatch has an advantage here. If you know the maps and strategies, you can use them in Overwatch 2 as well. Most modes are still identical, and in the end, it still comes down to winning as a team.
The same applies to your abilities with your favorite heroes. If you are already a pro with Widowmaker, Moira, or Reinhardt, you will also be among the top players in Overwatch 2. Only the heroes that have been completely reworked will, of course, need to be relearned. But luckily, there is the “closed beta,” which is still somehow open to everyone.
A “Closed” Beta for everyone, but not yet complete
How can I play?
Officially, Overwatch 2 is currently in closed PvP beta, which you can only access by invitation. However, there was a guaranteed beta access if you watched on Twitch.
The model has taken cues from Valorant, where it has worked excellently. You don’t need to own the predecessor; you will get a demo version for the beta. However, in the beta, you can only play PvP and only the standard mode. Other content like Arcade is missing.
The drops are now disabled again. However, there have been several waves in Valorant already. So it’s possible that you will still get another chance for an invitation. There are no official details yet. The beta will run until May 17.
What’s coming in Overwatch 2? The main selling point of Overwatch 2 is actually the coveted co-op mode. Here you should play your heroes in some kind of campaign and even be able to level up.
However, there is currently no menu option for this mode in the beta and no hints. How exactly this will look remains to be seen – also whether the campaign would justify a new purchase.
When is the release? A release date for Overwatch 2 is still open. Many rumors suggest a release only in 2023. As soon as we know more about the release and the price, you will find out here on MeinMMO.
If you are waiting for the release and don’t want to spoil the fun with the beta, you will find the currently best shooters on the market here:
The 15 best multiplayer shooters of 2022 for PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox
