It has been over six years since Overwatch exploded onto the scene. And, chances are, if you’ve played any FPS games in that time, you’ve given Overwatch a try.
The game was a runaway success for good reason—it’s fun, characterful and a masterful blend of a whole bunch of genres. This meant that the game appealed to a phenomenally large audience—from story lovers to competitive gamers.
Overwatch 2 hopes to revive the passion for the franchise which has fallen quiet in recent years, and with the release closer than ever it’s worth running down seven reasons you should be excited about Overwatch 2.
New Heroes
Overwatch is all about the heroes. Not only are they who you play as, but their back-stories, characterful animations and many skins all lie at the heart of the game’s identity.
Since the release of the game’s 32nd hero, Echo we haven’t had any new additions to the roster. And that was way back in March 2020, meaning we haven’t had a new hero for Overwatch players in over 2 years!
But with a new game comes new heroes. Both Sojourn and Junker Queen are set to be playable upon release (and were already playable to anyone who tried out the PvP Beta of Overwatch 2). But what’s more, Blizzard just revealed Kiriko—the game’s next support. Meaning there’s clearly plenty of new playable heroes on the horizon.
Extra Beefy Tanks
While tanks were fun to play when Overwatch first released, it’s clear that they quickly became the community’s least-favourite role. This is due to a number of factors; from players preferring the more varied roles of damage and support to the fact that there aren’t many tanks to choose from.
But this may all change in Overwatch 2, which has rejigged the game’s teams to now consist of 2 damage dealers, 2 support and only one tank. But to keep tanks relevant, and important, all tanks have received hefty buffs making them powerhouses that can really swing games.
This is sure to shake up the formula and bring an extra kick of excitement to playing the role.
New Look
Although Overwatch’s aesthetic is timelessly playful, it’s starting to show its age compared to new releases. Thus, many will be excited to hear that Overwatch 2 will come with new coat of paint—with each character’s design being reworked to reflect the franchise’s new and improved identity.
We’ve already caught a glimpse of a bunch of these redesigns—including the new takes on Lucio, Reinhardt, Cassidy and more.
While this may sound like a small change, it’s sure to impact the entire atmosphere of the game, and we can’t wait to see all the new designs!
New Maps
Just like with heroes, maps are a huge part of the identity of Overwatch. But, again, we haven’t seen any major map releases since way back in 2019! We have had the release of the workshop and two deathmatch maps, but for most players these maps are rarely ever played. That means it’s quite literally been half of Overwatch’s lifetime since a meaningful map release.
But that’s all about to change with the release of Overwatch 2 which has already revealed nine new maps, many confirmed for major game modes!
New Game Mode
Alongside new maps, we’re finally getting a new game mode worth shouting about! That’s Push. A tug-of-war style game mode where you have to take control of a robot and push him to the enemy’s side of the map.
Players have already raved about this game mode in the Overwatch 2 demo, so we can’t wait for it to go live.
No More 2-CP
If there’s one game mode that players always complain about its Assault—or 2cp. From great maps like Hanamura and Temple of Anubis to downright hated ones like Paris, Horizon Lunar Colony and Volskaya Industries this game mode is being scrapped to make room for the new game mode of Push.
Assault gained its poor reputation for a reason—with games being incredibly long and unenjoyable. Balancing both an incredibly high chance of snowballing attacks and totally impenetrable defences.
All I’m going to say, is that I’ll be happy to see these going.
New Co-op
Originally the most touted part of Overwatch 2, the game is going to have a hugely fleshed out series of co-op story missions where up to six players can travel to iconic locations in Overwatch history and go head-to-head against unique AI opponents.
While Co-op has never been the most iconic part of Overwatch, we’re excited to see what Blizzard have been working on for all this time. Especially with the various teases of unique hero abilities, skill progressions and new synergies.
While we wait for Overwatch 2 to release, now is the perfect time to jump back into the original game to polish up your skills. Whether you’ve been a long-term fan of the series or are a total newcomer you can give yourself a head-start by purchasing a top-tier account or getting your own boosted!