overwatch 2 Review: Evolution of the Iconic Hero Shooter

Overwatch first launched in 2016 and quickly became one of the most popular multiplayer hero shooter games on the market. Now in 2022, the wait is over for the highly anticipated sequel – Overwatch 2.

As an avid Overwatch player myself, I’ve been eagerly following all the Overwatch 2 news and updates leading up to the official launch on October 4th. I was lucky enough to gain access to the beta to get hands-on experience with OW2 ahead of release. 

Based on my time with the beta, here is an in-depth review of Overwatch 2 and all the biggest changes that veteran and new players alike need to know.

 Gameplay and New Modes – Where OW2 Shines

The core 5v5 team-based PvP gameplay of Overwatch remains intact but with some significant updates. Here are the key highlights:

5v5 Format: Teams are reduced from 6 players to 5, eliminating one tank role. This streamlines coordination and team play dramatically. Fights feel faster, deadlier, and more reliant on skill. Overall an excellent change in my opinion.

New Passive Abilities: Each role now gets a passive ability which further differentiates them. For example, Damage heroes get increased movement speed, and Supports passively regenerate health over time out of combat. This further incentivizes playing your role properly.

Hero Reworks: Underpowered heroes like Doomfist and Orisa received major reworks along with visual upgrades. Bastion in particular feels like a brand new hero. Stronger aiming and tactical play are now rewarded.

New Mode – Push: This symmetric PvP mode has teams battling to take control of a robot and push it into enemy territory. It requires a mix of combat, situational awareness, and macro strategy. A fresh addition to the lineup.

Mythic Skin Tier: New ultra-premium cosmetics introduce gods and monsters into hero histories. These are incredibly detailed skins with modified voice lines and sound effects.

But where Overwatch 2 really starts to innovate is with the new PvE story-driven co-op modes. 

Hero Missions let you level up heroes, unlock new skills, and tackle story missions set after the Overwatch recall. These provide PvE content completely missing from OW1.

Talent Trees adds light RPG progression mechanics, letting you customize your build. This keeps the co-op engaged over time.

The PvE content shows the most promise for the future of Overwatch 2 in my opinion, and helps differentiate it from competitors.

New Heroes – Characters in Overwatch 2

While light on new PvP heroes at launch, the three new additions are stellar:

Sojourn

The high-mobility railgun damage hero offers incredibly fun mobility and satisfying sniper gameplay. Her skill cap is immense.

Abilities:

• Railgun – Charge up to fire a devastating energy shot
• Disruptor Shot – Rapid fire energy burst that slows enemies
• Power Slide – Slide rapidly in any direction
• Ultimate: Overclock – Rapidly fire high-damage railgun shots

Verdict: Sojourn will likely be a top damage pick dependent on skill. Extremely fun to play.

 Junker Queen 

The scrappy new tank from Junkertown brings disruption and bleeding mechanics. She excels at aggressive, in-your-face play.

Abilities:

• Scattergun – Shoot jagged metal shards
•  Jagged Blade – Throw damaging blade that causes bleed
• Commanding Shout – Grant overheal and speed boost 
•  Ultimate: Rampage – Charge and slash in an area 

Verdict: Strong against low-mobility comps, but susceptible to being kited. Rewards bold playmaking.

 Kiriko

This support ninja has high mobility and both healing and damage abilities. One of the highest skill cap supports. 

Abilities:

• Healing Ofuda – Throw talismans that heal allies
• Kunai – Throw knives that deal high damage
• Swift Step – Quickly dash in any direction
• Protection Suzu – Cleanse allies and make them invulnerable 

Verdict: Kiriko has immense outplay potential via her mobility and versatility. Will likely see pro play.

While I hoped for 1-2 more heroes, the new ones proved extremely fun to master and enabled big playmaking potential.

 Hero Reworks – Fresh Takes on Familiar Faces

In addition to the 3 new heroes, Overwatch 2 reworks many existing ones to shift the gameplay meta. Here are some highlights:

Doomfist -> Tank

Now a disruptive brawler tank, Doomfist is much improved. His kit encourages aggressive initiation and combos.

Orisa -> Damage

With a javelin spear replacing her shield, Orisa transforms into a ranged spear-thrower who controls space via damage rather than barriers. Rewards accuracy and aggressive flanks.

Bastion -> Mobile Configuration

Bastion’s default mode is now recon (machine gun) form, with tank mode only as his ultimate. This improves his viability and makes him feel like a new hero.

Symmetra -> More Viable Support

With an updated teleporter and turrets, Symmetra now brings more reliable utility as an off-support pick. The reworks breathe new life into previously niche hero picks and help reset the meta heading into OW2.

Competitive Play – Still Needs Tuning

The switch to 5v5 has massive implications for competitive play. Combined with the balance changes, the meta has shifted considerably:

• Classic tank pairings like Reinhardt + Zarya struggle since only one tank is allowed now.
•  Sombra becomes much stronger as a damage carry due to her disruptive hacks and EMP in the smaller 5v5 fights.
• The reduced stuns and shields shift priority to good damage aim and mechanical skill.

This will undoubtedly keep evolving as players adapt to the new meta. For ranked play, the decreased team size does help reduce coordination difficulties with random teammates.

However, Overwatch 2 competitively is not without issues at launch:

Smurfs are running rampant, especially in lower elos where they devastate unfairly matched games. Stricter smurf detection would help immensely. 

Support heroes feel disproportionately vulnerable without a second tank to peel for them. Ana and Zenyatta in particular can feel helpless against flankers like Genji and Tracer. Further balance passes are needed.

Toxicity is still a problem, as some players bitterly complain about the changes rather than constructively adapting. Better reporting tools could help curb this.

The Ranked mode still needs work, but the fundamentals are improved by 5v5. With time, the meta should stabilize in a healthy place.

 Monetization Changes – Battle Pass and a Price in Overwatch 2

With Overwatch 2, Blizzard moved to a free-to-play model with monetization via a seasonal Battle Pass system. This grants cosmetic rewards as you level up.

There is also an in-game shop with various cosmetics, skins, animations, and other collectible items for sale. These can be purchased directly with real money rather than the OW1 loot box system.

Overall the monetization changes are fair but Prices in the shop tend to run high:

•  Legendary skins – $19
•  Battle Pass Premium (paid) – $10 per season
• Mythic Genji skin – $45

Compared to other F2P titles, these cosmetics are quite expensive. However, the game is free levels the playing field, and removes past barriers to entry.

The monetization overall seems reasonable and does not affect core gameplay. However cosmetic collectors should be prepared to pay a premium price.

Overwatch 2 Patch Notes – Constant Improvements 

As a live service game, Overwatch 2 will continue evolving over time through regular patches and balance changes. 

During the beta periods, Blizzard was very active in releasing Overwatch 2 patch notes every few weeks. This gave players a sneak peek at the update process.

Some highlights of changes from the OW2 beta patches include:

Hero Balance Changes: Tuning damage, healing output, cooldowns, etc. for both existing and new heroes based on gameplay data and feedback. For example, Sojourn received railgun damage nerfs during beta due to being overpowered.

Bug Fixes: Eliminating game crashes, ability bugs, UI issues, and other problems reported by players. The patches fixed numerous errors that arose during beta testing.

Feature Changes: Adding or modifying non-balance-related features such as social systems, matchmaking, and more. The beta saw tweaks to the endorsement system, friend lists, and group formation.

Map Updates: Applying art changes, balance passes, and bug fixes to existing maps and new ones added. The betas tested reworks for maps like Dorado and Route 66.

Overall, the patches during OW2 beta came at a steady 1-2 week cadence. Players can expect this to continue post-launch, with regular Overwatch 2 patch notes fixing issues and evolving the gameplay meta as needed.

The development team has demonstrated great commitment to polish and responding to user feedback through these patches. This transparency will be important to keep the community engaged moving forward.

Examining the patch notes provides insight into the game’s progression even between major content releases and season changes. It shows that continuous improvement is a priority.

Overwatch 2 Beta Signup – Get Early Access 

For eager Overwatch players, participating in the Overwatch 2 beta was the only way to get hands-on with the game prior to launch. 

During the testing periods, Blizzard offered a few different ways to sign up for a chance at gaining beta access:

Opt-In Via Battle.net: Players with a Battle.net account could opt into the beta directly through the Blizzard launcher app. This registered you for a chance to get invited to future beta tests.

Watch Twitch Streams: Blizzard gave Twitch OW streamers drops enabled that could reward beta access to viewers. Watching streams increases your chances. 

Pre-Order Overwatch 2: Pre-ordering a copy of the game guarantees you access to all beta events. This ensured you wouldn’t miss out.

Ownership of Overwatch 1: Existing OW1 players seemed to have higher odds of getting invited to each new wave of the beta. Loyalty was rewarded.

Through these methods, players registered their interest and awaited emails granting beta access if selected. Initially, access was sparse, but became more widely available near the end. 

Registration for future Overwatch 2 beta tests beyond launch will likely occur via opting in on your Battle.net account. Keep watch for announcements of signups if you missed the initial beta but want to help test new content and updates before release.

Early beta access helps shape the game by submitting feedback. And of course, it provides the opportunity to gain a leg up by practicing with new heroes and features before they hit the live competitive queues.

Be sure to sign up ASAP whenever a new Overwatch 2 beta is announced to maximize your chance of admission. It’s the ultimate hands-on preview.

 Overwatch 2 Cross Platform Support – Unified Multiplayer 

A major feature Blizzard touted with Overwatch 2 is full cross-platform support. This means players on different gaming platforms can queue into matches together.

Crossplay is enabled by default for Quick Play, Arcade, and Custom games. Here are the details on how it works:

PC and consoles can group together: Players on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch all share one combined player pool and can group as teams.

Competitive crossplay becomes available in 2023: Ranked will be platform segregated at launch, but allow crossplay sometime next year once parity concerns are addressed.

Progression and cosmetics unified: Your player level, competitive rank, unlocked heroes, and cosmetic collection are consistent across linked accounts, thanks to…

Account Merge: This optional process allows combining your progress and unlocks from OW1 or OW2 across consoles and PCs into one synced account.

Crossplay’s advantages include faster matchmaking, more platform choices for playing with friends and building a connected community.

Potential downsides are PC advantages in aiming precision and concerns over competing seriously against other input methods. But for casual play, crossplay is universally a huge benefit.

The account merge in particular makes cross-progression seamless during or after transitioning to a new platform. Overall, crossplay meaningfully expands the pool of available players to team up with or compete against.

Overwatch previously felt fragmented by platform – crossplay integration in OW2 fixes that. The only dividing line now is input-based matchmaking separating controllers vs keyboard & mouse. But even that distinction blurs in casual queues.

Crossplay’s arrival removes barriers, unifies the community, and exemplifies the interconnectivity that Overwatch 2 enables.

Overwatch 2 Ranks – Where Do You Place?

Competitive mode underwent some revisions in Overwatch 2. Though the core rankings are familiar, there are some key changes affecting where players place:

7 Tiers per rank: Each rank now has 7 tiers to work through rather than 5. For example, Gold now goes from Gold 5 to Gold 1. This allows more granularity.

Fewer placements: New accounts need to only complete 7 placement matches rather than 10 for their initial rank. This speeds up starting competition. 

Visible MMR: Underneath your SR rank is now a Matchmaking Rating (MMR) number, which more accurately reflects your skill standing.

New players seeded lower: Those new to ranked seem to place lower than in OW1, likely as an anti-smurf measure. Ranks will normalize after sufficient playtime.

Decay removed: SR decay for not playing was eliminated, preventing undue rank loss if you ever need a competitive break.

Based on the above changes, even veterans find themselves placing several ranks lower to start compared to their OW1 rank. This has led to some frustration but can be overcome.

Initially, the more spread-out distribution has created looser matchmaking. As players put in hours, most should eventually reach an appropriate skill-based rank under the new system.

The rankings overhaul aims to provide more transparent, forgiving, and accurate competitive matchmaking. Once settled after calibration, OW2’s ranking distribution should better segregate tiers of players.

The journey back to your “true” skill may take a little longer after the soft MMR reset. But take advantage of the larger 7-tier divisions to make steady measured progress.

Whether you ended up with high bronze or low plat, trust in the process to eventually reach your deserved Overwatch 2 competitive ranking.

Overwatch 2 Download – Get Ready to Play

With Overwatch 2 finally released, you’ll want to get it downloaded ASAP to start playing. Here are the details on installing the game:

PC:

• Download via the Battle.net app on Windows
• Approx. file size: 60-75 GB 
• Pre-loading available: Yes

PlayStation:

• Download from the PlayStation Store on PS4 or PS5
• Approx. file size: 60-70 GB
• Pre-loading available: Yes 

Xbox:

• Download from the Microsoft Store on Xbox One or Series X|S
•  Pre-loading available: Yes

Nintendo Switch:

• Download from Nintendo eShop 
• Approx. file size: 30-35 GB 
• Pre-loading available: No

Overwatch 2 is free to play and accessible on all these platforms. For console gamers, you’ll need a subscription to PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online, or Xbox Live Gold for multiplayer access.

Pre-loading is enabled for most systems, allowing you to download the game files ahead of launch day. This lets you hop into the action immediately on October 4 without waiting.

The file size is notably larger than the original Overwatch, given the graphical upgrades and PvE content. Make sure you have sufficient disk space available before starting the download.

With Overwatch 2 set to launch as a live service model, expect more frequent smaller updates applied regularly after getting the base game installed.

Grab your platform of choice and get ready to jump into the next evolution of Overwatch with your download complete and ready to play at launch!

 Overwatch 2 Tier List – The Best Heroes

With Overwatch 2 introducing sweeping hero reworks and a major shift to 5v5, the meta has changed drastically. Here is an early snapshot tier list ranking heroes for the OW2 competitive environment:

S-Tier:

•  Sojourn
•  Tracer  
•  Sombra
•  Kiriko
•  Zarya

A-Tier:

•  Genji
•  Soldier: 76
•  Cassidy 
•  Ana
•  Junker Queen

B-Tier:

• Widowmaker  
• Ashe
•  Echo
•  Reinhardt
• D.Va

C-Tier:

•  Torbjörn
•  Baptiste  
• Sigma
•  Mei
•  Bastion

D-Tier:

• Symmetra  
•  Zenyatta
•  Junkrat
•  Pharah
• Brigitte 

F-Tier:

• Mercy
•  Doomfist
•  Moira  

This initial ranking is based on early competitive data and the opinions of high SR players. The meta is still evolving rapidly week-to-week.

Here are some takeaways on the strongest heroes to start OW2:

High-skill cap damage like Sojourn and Genji dominate with their playmaking potential enabled by the extra space of 5v5.

Sombra becomes a must-pick DPS for her ability to dictate engagements via hacks. Shutting down enemies wins fights.

Zarya and Reinhardt emerge as the strongest tank picks, able to pressure space extremely well in the brawl-heavy meta.

Kiriko enters as top support for her high healing, utility, and pick potential compared to other vulnerable supports.

Expect this Overwatch 2-tier list to change frequently as the meta evolves. But for now, favoring these strong heroes will give you an edge in climbing competitive ranks as players continue adapting.

Overwatch 2 Exceeds Expectations

As both an avid Overwatch 1 player and a hero shooter fan, I went into Overwatch 2 with high expectations. After extensive time with the PvP beta and seeing the upcoming PvE content, I can confidently say:

Overwatch 2 improves upon OW1 in almost every way.

The 5v5 change alone reinvigorates the tactical team-based combat that made Overwatch so enjoyable, while the new heroes, modes, and progression systems add variety.

Yes, there are some rough edges still in ranked play, and the content is light at launch. But the solid foundation is there for Blizzard to build upon. For myself and many other fans, Overwatch 2 will clearly be THE multiplayer shooter to play over the next year. 

Overall score: 9/10

For new players, Overwatch 2 is the perfect chance to jump in and try a leading multiplayer shooter with vibrant style, engaging gameplay, and a thriving community.

And for OW1 veterans, the many quality-of-life updates will rekindle your passion. It feels like the fresh start that the game needed.

I cannot recommend Overwatch 2 enough. Now let the disbanding of Overwatch comment