Overwatch 2 is a rollercoaster

Overwatch 2 is a partial overhaul of the original 2016 game, and although the changes are relatively subtle, they were enough for Blizzard Entertainment to consider it a new game. Released in 2023 by the American developer, it stands as their first and only Hero Shooter—a relatively recent genre focused on team-based battles in controlled environments with varied objectives, where each player controls a hero, whether in FPS or TPS format. Overwatch is credited with popularizing the genre, and its 2016 Game of the Year award feels well deserved.

The game played a key role in bringing the Hero Shooter genre—originally pioneered by Team Fortress 2—into the mainstream. Blizzard leveraged its years of experience in crafting stories and characters to build a compelling narrative for Overwatch. Iconic characters with rich backstories come to life, and the game’s focus on both casual and competitive gameplay is enhanced by a wide range of cinematics and multimedia efforts that delve into the lives of Overwatch, Blackwatch, and Talon agents.

Overwatch 2 presents a strong narrative that goes beyond the game itself, pushing the story through trailers, comics, and other media. Riot Games recently adopted a similar approach for League of Legends, and the model seems to be working remarkably well. In addition to its technical strengths, Overwatch features charismatic and, in many cases, unique characters. It’s common to find dedicated mains for each hero in the community—someone is bound to fall in love with a specific character, even if they're not that into the game itself.

As for gameplay and character design, the first-person perspective works well to highlight player skill—aiming, positioning, game sense, and so on. However, it undermines one of the game’s key elements: skins. Players can’t see the skins their characters are wearing, which is an odd design choice. That said, the characters themselves are fantastic—their pasts, personalities, and convictions are well fleshed out, giving players a sense of connection. Beyond their narrative appeal, each hero has a unique and diverse skillset, making it possible to cater to virtually every type of player. Thanks to this design, Overwatch 2 is a shooter where some characters don’t even shoot. There are melee-only tanks, for instance. Hero Shooters like Overwatch succeed—this one in particular excels—at reaching a broader audience than games that require tighter segmentation. In this respect, the work is excellent.

Overwatch 2 Heroes

The game’s structure works well for different types of players. Matches feature randomized objectives, bringing natural variation to gameplay—maps for capturing points differ drastically from payload maps, for instance. Plus, being able to switch heroes freely mid-match introduces strategic rotation, making a 10–15-minute match deeper than many longer games that lack such flexibility. Another interesting design decision is the absence of bans—not even in competitive play. All heroes are always available to both teams, and full hero mirroring can occur.

This dynamic combat style appeals to casual players but has had a negative impact on Overwatch’s competitive scene, which never really took off. The peak of competitive play was during the infamous GOATs meta—for those who don’t remember, this composition consisted of 3 tanks and 3 healers and was nearly unkillable. Teams would often mirror the exact comp, and matches came down to execution. The competitive scene was essentially abandoned as the first Overwatch declined, and while there was an attempt to revive it with Overwatch 2, it didn’t succeed. The public never truly bought into it, and a proper fanbase never formed.

The transition from Overwatch 1 to 2 was rocky. The original game was in decline, using a premium model (pay to play) with a shrinking player base. Overwatch 2 shifted to a free-to-play model, monetized through cosmetics and a battle pass. Some heroes received reworks, and team size was reduced from six to five, with role locks now requiring one tank, two healers, and two DPS—previously, this was up to the player’s choice. Blizzard also promised a PvE mode for those who owned the original game, but this never materialized and is rarely mentioned anymore.

Considering its structure, design goals, and characters, Overwatch 2 is a good game. But it still pays the price for its past mistakes. Many players haven’t forgotten the missteps of the original game—or of Blizzard itself. Another long-standing complaint from the player base was the lack of consistent new content, a problem that seems to have improved since the arrival of a new rival on the market. Marvel Rivals forced Blizzard to act in order to retain its player base against what is now its biggest competitor since 2016. New content is added every two weeks in an effort to keep the game dynamic, even if it’s just temporary game modes.

In conclusion, Overwatch 2 is a rollercoaster. Across its nine-year history (counting both titles), it has seen highs—becoming a cultural phenomenon with memorable characters and innovative gameplay—and lows, where it was almost forgotten. The second game gave the franchise a fresh breath of life, attracting new players who now form a loyal user base under the new live service model. Perhaps the game’s greatest strength is its ability to understand its moment and what it represents. It’s a strong product, and it’s loved—but it must be properly maintained to stay fresh (with new content) and clean (bug-free and with a well-managed community) so that both longtime and new fans can continue to enjoy it.