The long-teased Overwatch 2 finally got a full presentation at BlizzConline this year. Jeff Kaplan and an assortment of developers sat down in a video call to finally give fans a look into the game, revealing maps and upgrades that have been worked on over the last couple of years. In addition to the PvE elements coming to Overwatch 2, some of the details regarding PvP that were discussed could fundamentally change the way matches play out.
Overwatch is a game that relies on hero abilities for balancing and gameplay. Heroes' personalities inform abilities that have cooldowns, powerful Ultimate abilities that must be charged, and passive abilities that work constantly in the background. For example, Mercy has a regeneration passive that allows her to heal herself, Sombra can see low-health enemies through walls, and Zarya gains charge for her particle cannon by blocking damage with bubbles. Passive abilities have been hero-specific in Overwatch, but this doesn't seem to be the case for Overwatch 2.
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In Overwatch 2, hero abilities are changing and characters will also receive passive abilities based on their role. Currently, the passives are being experimented with and aren't definitely launching with the game. Tanks may have increased knockback resistance and players will get less Ultimate charge when shooting them. Damage heroes may have a movement speed increase that allows them to flank more dynamically. Support heroes may have a passive health regeneration, similar to Mercy's current live passive but at a slower rate. These will most likely come in addition to the normal hero passives and be given to all heroes across that role.
In addition to these passives, Blizzard has been reworking the tank class to make them "more toe-to-toe brawlers and less characters that just stand back and protect other players." Featured in the discussion of these experiments was Reinhardt. The developers are hoping to make the character more impactful by giving him two Fire-Strike charges, the ability to cancel his charge, and better turn radius during charges, letting him play more aggressively.
It's important to note that these current changes may not ship when Overwatch 2 releases. Most of the details discussed at BlizzCon are subject to change, so players will have to wait for the game to release to see the final product. Plenty of the roster will be receiving character ability reworks and balancing, with the balance of the game being a big focus for the development team. The full presentation received a warm reception with streamers and fans alike, and many people seem excited about the upcoming title.
Overwatch 2 is in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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