If you are an Overwatch player and don’t feel like watching the recent, whole Overwatch 2 PvP reveal live stream (which is almost 2 hours long), you can read the list of changes here.
Overwatch 2 PvP has a fundamental core change that may shock you at first, and that is 5v5. Currently, you have a 6v6 (comprises of 2 tanks, 2 dps, and 2 support) but this is going to change in Overwatch 2. In Overwatch 2, you’ll only have 1 tank but Blizzard is making sure that the tank is more tanky and more fun to play (more “brawly”).
While I was skeptical at first of this change, my opinion quickly changed after watching how the new 5v5 plays and the reasons behind the change from the stream.
Anyhow, here are the list of changes in Overwatch 2 PvP based on the official information from Blizzard and what I’ve picked up from the live stream. As always, Overwatch 2 is still a work in progress so things may change again before it gets released.
Overwatch 2 PvP Main Changes Summary
- It will be 5 vs 5, comprises of 1 tank, 2 dps, and 2 support. Somewhere out there in the professional leagues, someone will be getting fired from the team?
And others that we already knew of before:
- Passive abilities (Damage heroes moving slightly faster, Tanks have reduced knockback and give less ultimate charge to enemies, Support regenerates health like Mercy)
- Visual changes (now a unified green health bar will show “over health” status)
- New maps that they actually look into detail to provide the best design and match experience tailored to all the Overwatch 2 heroes and gameplay changes
Overwatch 2 PvP Hero Changes Summary
- Reinhardt will get 2x Firestrike charges, can steer more fluidly when charging, and can stop his charge anytime
- Zarya will have 2 charge bubbles each (i.e 2 times to bubble herself, and 2 times to bubble a teammate)
- Winston can now fire a ranged, straight shot
- DVa has more charge to do defense matrix
- Zenyatta’s UI will now display your orb and discord harmony targets on the screen (hero portraits). Similar to Mercy’s.
- Mei can no longer freeze players completely, only to slow them but will have more damage now
Overwatch 2 PvP Changes at Work
- They are looking at the other CC skills like McCree’s stun, etc (to avoid CC frustrations in Overwatch 1, which is the reason why they remove freezing from Mei’s skill)
- More maps
- More game modes
Overall, Overwatch 2 PvP changes seem to be going to the right direction. You actually have to listen from the Overwatch team directly to find out why the new change is for the better. Lots of changes are definitely big and major, but this is the right (and only) opportunity for the Overwatch team to make the necessary drastic changes to the game.
You may not like it but Overwatch had undergone many changes in the past and there were resistances at first. But now we’ve come to a very enjoyable game experience with 2-2-2 role lock compared to when Overwatch was first released.
But you’ll still be playing Overwatch and Overwatch 2 still feels like Overwatch – Aaron Keller, Overwatch’s new Game Director, definitely stresses that in the live stream.
If you want to watch the whole stream replay, the video is here:
