MeinMMO editor Dariusz has been playing Overwatch every day for months and must admit: He is having a lot of fun, and it comes down to three points.
In 2025, I started playing Overwatch again after a long break and tested some new features that were introduced in the previous seasons. Since then, I’ve been playing Overwatch 2 almost every day. The hero shooter even managed to become my most played game of the year on Steam in just 4-5 months, just ahead of Rainbow Six: Siege, Battlefield 6, and Borderlands.
According to Steam, I have around 350 hours in Overwatch 2, almost all of which are from last year, because the last time I actively played OW2, it wasn’t on Steam yet. Before that, I only accumulated a few hours out of professional curiosity.
Over the past few months, there have certainly been moments when I was frustrated with the game or my teammates, but I still have to admit: I have never had as much fun in Overwatch as I do now. And that is mainly due to 3 changes.
1. The Comeback of the Year
The main reason I’m enjoying Overwatch so much right now is the return of 6v6. The mode initially made a temporary comeback, but due to its popularity, it stayed in the game and may receive more attention from Blizzard in the future.
Currently, there is 6v6 competitive and open queue, in case you don’t want to play ranked. The only thing I’m missing is a closed role queue, because it’s frustrating when our 4 random players all play DPS.
Overall, 6v6 is what I’ve been missing in Overwatch 2. In 5v5, it always felt like the tank role was too crucial for the outcome of the game. If you get a bad tank, the match is often as good as lost. If the tank is really strong, you can sometimes crush the opponents. In 6v6, with two tanks, you won’t get run over immediately when one tank makes a mistake.
There’s just a different game dynamic in 6v6.
Regardless of me, it’s a truly strong comeback because there’s still the option to play 5v5 if that’s preferred. Players have not lost anything; they simply have more options.
2. A Strong Innovation
With Season 15 in 2025, the so-called hero perks were introduced into the game. Every hero can choose one of two minor perks and later one of two major perks during a match. These perks enhance the various abilities of the heroes.
For example, I usually play Ana. She has the following 4 perks to choose from:
Minor:
- Dazed: Opponents hit by the sleep dart are slowed for 2 seconds upon waking and take 50 damage during this time.
- Tempo Serum: Nanoboost increases the movement speed of Ana and her target by 40 %.
Major:
- Biotic Bounce: Biotic Grenade bounces after exploding and explodes again for 60 damage and healing.
- Bounty Hunter: Biotic Rifle can deal critical hits to opponents.
These perks not only bring variety to the game. They are also truly powerful. I eventually stopped playing Overwatch 2 when Ana was nerfed over and over again, which bothered me. However, the perks have made her so much fun to play again that I don’t care about the nerfs of the past.
Other heroes also have strong perks. Baptiste has a shoulder shield that automatically heals allies when using abilities. Sojourn’s disruption shot slows down affected opponents. Sigma can charge his shield by throwing hyperspheres at enemies. And Kiriko can heal teammates by dealing damage with kunais.
3. A Whole New Gaming Experience
In April 2025, Overwatch then received a brand new game mode called Stadium as part of Season 16, which has almost a MOBA-like principle that combines it with typical Overwatch gameplay and modes.
The individual rounds in Stadium are generally shorter than a normal Overwatch match, but since you play multiple rounds with individual buying phases, the entire match is a bit longer.
Speaking of buying phases:
In Stadium, you have a wide selection of upgrades that you can buy between rounds. There are items that improve your damage, abilities, or defense, and there are powers that give your abilities a new, powerful effect. For example, Ana can fire sleep darts with her rifle or give allies a weakened nanoboost with her grenade.
I admit, I’m not a big fan of Stadium and prefer classic 6v6, but the mode has been really well received by a large part of the community and is very popular among my friends. Blizzard has created something here that meaningfully expands the gameplay and also offers long-time players something new to invest a lot of time in.
A Successful Year for Overwatch
Overall, Overwatch 2 has taken a very good path in 2025 and has managed to win me back as a player. If I want to jump into a competitive shooter for a few rounds after work now, it’s usually Overwatch – which would have been hardly imaginable two years ago.
I am currently really enjoying the hero shooter and am curious about what 2026 will bring. Hopefully, Blizzard can maintain the course and make good decisions in the new year.
