Overwatch 2 is new, nice and totally superfluous

Overwatch 2 currently gives an insight into the upcoming successor to the Hero shooter in a closed beta. However, the largest planned innovation with the co-op mode is not yet there, at the moment only PvP mode is included.

• this is new to Overwatch 2-PvP
• at best overwatch 1.5
• not for newcomers and former fans
• opinion of the editor

I was able to play the PC beta for a few hours and test the changes, but I just didn't get rid of the feeling that I was still playing the predecessor.

this is new to Overwatch 2-PvP

The revisions are of course not final, but these changes are already available in the beta:

• Change of team size from six to five players
• New DPS heroine Sojourn

• Revision of existing hero such as bastion, orisa and doomfist
• New mode "thrust", in which both teams try to push the same payload to the other end of the card
• Every role with new passive skills
• Improved ping system

It is striking: As a long-time Overwatch fan, I immediately found my way around in the sequel. The underlying gameplay is largely unchanged, most of the changes are rather minor quality-of-life improvements. The Apex Legends ping system was adopted, the narcotics of many heroes removed and the roles each get new passive skills: DPS hero, for example, have increased speed of movement, while healers passively regenerate life points.

The biggest innovation is the pace: The most important thing here is the reduction of the team size from six to five players. Instead of two tanks, there is now only one left, for example the role was buffled with more life points. As a result, the team confrontations are now decided faster instead of bargaining position fights.

Actually a nice innovation to ensure speed and variety - but healers make life a lot more difficult, because here is not so easy to keep an overview of those who need the most urgent healing.

Passive healing skills from Moira or Lucio are a great advantage here. In any case, the two characters fit better into the faster fighting through their mobility, while slow hero more falls. Here Blizzard will probably continue to work on the balancing.

at best overwatch 1.5

However, it was already. And that is probably the biggest point of criticism of the beta. There is a new heroine, a new mode (which is actually a revised attack mode) and faster fights. The rest of the game feels like I have spent hundreds of hours in it, because I have this effectively: hero, maps, modes - I already know all of this by heart from the first overwatch. The new changes make sense, but rather give me the feeling as if I play an update instead of a successor.

Important! By the way, that should by no means mean that Overwatch 2 cannot be fun, even with me the old "okay, only a game" feeling came up, at least for a while. But I already know that I would no longer return to the game regularly, I had seen everything new too quickly.

not for newcomers and former fans

This is certainly not a problem for loyal fans of the predecessor. But if you are curious and hoped to get a easier entry into the row with Overwatch 2 or as I have already lost interest in Overwatch, you can hardly get more in the second part-at least in terms of PvP mode. Because probably the largest announced innovation of Overwatch 2, the co-op mode, is not yet included in the beta.

The mode is said to be a kind of story campaign and consist of various hero missions with changing tasks. How extensive they are and whether they really drive the story significantly, as many fans have been wishing for years, is still in the stars.

When is OV2? A release of Overwatch 2 for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC is currently announced. There is no specific releasing appointment yet, but after a planned release 2022, the game was postponed internally.

opinion of the editor

Eleen Reinke @ottadice

I was a big Overwatch fan for release and gambled the game extensively for several years. At some point the motivation simply subsided, I lacked the variety and new content. Even the little lore snacks with the characters, who initially aroused my interest, were no longer enough.

I still have cautious hopes for the story mode, but whoever had already completed with Overwatch or never got warm with the game principle will at least not bring back the changes to the PvP mode to the game. It is too little and too late for that.

Of course, Overwatch 2 is also in development and theoretically, a lot can change until the release. So far, however, I just don't feel that the game really deserves the 2 behind its name. Let's see if the story mode can change that. Did you already play the beta? Did you like it better than me? If so, like to tell me what convinced you!