Overwatch 2 is launching, yet several controversies still linger. These are gnawing at what Overwatch was meant to be.
After years of content drought, a wild time is finally beginning again for Overwatch fans. Overwatch 2 will debut on October 4th and will even be a free-to-play game – so no money is required.
The developers promise regular content updates, new heroes and maps, quick balance adjustments when issues arise, and generally all that a shooter fan could wish for.
However, even before the launch, there have been a number of controversies. When the developers announced that they would shift from a “6v6” format to “5v5” and remove one tank from the match, it caused an outcry. Many professionals feared for their jobs as teams would need one less tank.
The significantly younger point of contention is that Blizzard is introducing a Battle Pass for Overwatch that not only brings cosmetic rewards, replacing loot boxes, but also new heroes within the Battle Pass.
That’s right: New heroes will no longer be available for everyone from the start; they must be unlocked. While this can be done through the free version of the Battle Pass – time must definitely be invested.
The final trailer for Overwatch 2 looks fantastic, by the way:
Also quite recent: Blizzard has redesigned all heroes so that there are essentially no “hard counters” anymore. In Overwatch 1, this was relatively simple. The enemy team had a good Tracer? Then you simply needed a Cassidy (formerly “McCree”) to take her out. Similarly, a strong Widowmaker could be countered with Genji or a pesky Reinhardt with a solid Reaper.
Blizzard wants to move away from that. Heroes should still be counterable, but there shouldn’t be any truly “hard” counters anymore. Every hero should be able to face any enemy team without it being a fundamentally bad decision.
On the one hand, this is a nice thing for everyone who only likes to play a few heroes and wants to enjoy playing their favorite hero permanently; on the other hand, it goes against the fundamental gameplay principle of Overwatch. The ability to switch heroes repeatedly to adapt to situations and to continually balance both teams was a core mechanic.
It doesn’t feel as if the team made these decisions because it was best for Overwatch’s gameplay, but rather because it is better for marketing a Battle Pass.
Because if you unlock a new hero, like Kiriko, immediately through the premium Battle Pass, you want to be able to play her and not be frustrated by having to switch because Hero X or Y is a hard counter against the new heroine.
The intention behind this feels like something out of a mobile game: When the player spends money to unlock something, it should feel good. Hard counters would be a problem that would bring frustration.
I always liked that you could just leave Overwatch for a few months and then return when you felt like it. Usually, there was a new map or a new hero to play. The game was just there when you wanted to enjoy it, and that at full capacity.
That will no longer be the case. If I want to play the newest heroes, I must unlock them within the season in which they appear. While there is supposed to be a way to obtain the new heroes afterward, it will likely quickly become clear what that looks like, even if Blizzard has not officially said anything about it:
You can laboriously unlock them later – likely with a lot of time investment – or you can throw money at the problem.
Blizzard repeatedly emphasizes that they care a lot about the competitive integrity of Overwatch. But if that were truly the case, then new heroes would always be available for free and directly. Any barrier created to access heroes is a step away from the fairness that has defined Overwatch.
And yes, I know the counterarguments. That new heroes are not in ranked mode at the beginning so that all players theoretically have enough time to unlock them through the free Battle Pass. That sounds fair. But it only is if you assume that every Overwatch enthusiast always plays Overwatch.
In the short term, this may not be a big problem, as initially, all interested parties will play and unlock new heroes more or less on the side.
However, people who have less time or simply want to join later will be faced with hurdles and barriers. Those who want to play something completely different for a few months will find themselves facing a gap in unlockable heroes afterward.
And I can already see in my mind’s eye the “Super Latecomer Pack” in the shop for 4,500 Fantasy currency, which has an unwieldy equivalent of 73.62 Euros, unlocking all heroes. Although this is still just a figment, if we look over at Hearthstone, we can be quite sure that it will be similar in Overwatch.
I would gladly be proven wrong here. I would love to say in a year: Okay, I was wrong, latecomers have it just as easy, and the PvP integrity of the game with equal opportunities for all is completely intact.
But until Blizzard addresses this, the uncomfortable feeling remains of already clearly recognizing where things are headed.
And that is extremely disappointing because the gameplay of Overwatch 2 is more refined than in the first part – and it’s just a lot of fun. Don’t let that be used against your players again… please.
Feel free to fill Overwatch with optional cosmetics in the Battle Pass. But please keep your hands off what makes Overwatch: Anyone can play any hero – and not just after investing time or money.
Or how do you see it?
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