After years of feeling neglected, Overwatch 2 is finally experimenting with new systems to reinvigorate its gameplay. The Perks system allows for tactical customization of hero abilities, offering a glimpse of what the future holds for this once-dominant shooter.
I never thought I'd become a lapsed Overwatch 2 player, but that's what I've been lately. I barely touched season 14, and that lack of interest was the culmination of years of stagnation and broken promises finally pushing me away. Yeah, Marvel Rivals also showed up and took my time, but even if Overwatch's most competent competitor in years hadn't come out, I don't know that I would have stuck with Blizzard's hero shooter for much longer. And I don't think I've been alone in feeling that way.
For several seasons Blizzard has relied on expensive cosmetics and the occasional high-profile collaborations to hold players' attention. The game is in desperate need of a change, lest the once-megalithic shooter find itself completely irrelevant in the volatile live-service market. After spending a few hours playing the new Stadium mode and messing around with the MOBA-like Perks system, I'm cautiously optimistic that Blizzard is finally getting the game on the right track. In talking with developers about all the changes coming to Overwatch 2, I came away from the Blizzard campus feeling like the team had finally stopped being so precious about what the Overwatch experience is and decided to start experimenting with what it could be. I've spent hundreds of hours playing characters like Soldier: 76, Sombra, and Lifeweaver, and their kits are embedded into my muscle memory. Unless a hero has received a major rework, most characters in Overwatch have played pretty much the same way for years. Strategies form based on one defined playstyle, metas with “optimal” team compositions develop, and eventually, players get into a monotonous groove. Blizzard and Overwatch fans have spent so long arguing over things like bringing back the 6v6 format and balancing heroes in a particular way that any thought of what could actually reinvigorate the game had fallen by the wayside. Going back to the 6v6 format was never going to be the shot in the arm a game that has lost this much cultural cache needed. What might work, however, are some of the changes Blizzard is bringing to the core Overwatch game, as well as the introduction of the new Stadium mode, which is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in the shooter before. But before we tackle that monster, let’s start with Perks, the new system being added to the base Overwatch 2 experience you know and love. These are tweaks to existing abilities that can fundamentally change how a hero is played. I was only able to play with a handful of heroes to test out their new kits, but I was pleasantly surprised at how the smallest change can make a hero feel very different. Take, for example, Ramattra. The tank thrives in multiple scenarios as he swaps between his more poke-driven defensive form and his brawler Nemesis form. When I was able to pick between two of his Perks, I was given the option to turn his Ravenous Vortex ability—which has him fire off an orb that typically grounds airborne enemies where it lands and does light damage over time—into something else entirely. This included having the projectile explode if it made direct contact with an enemy, dragging them to the ground with some more precision, or allowing Ramattra to heal himself if he stood inside the vortex. As someone who wants his tank to be capable of sustaining as much damage as possible, the latter was much more appealing to me. But if I’d been facing a pesky flight-based hero like Pharah, I could see myself going the other route. Adapting to the situation in front of you is core to the Overwatch experience, as switching between heroes is a pillar of how you play. But with Perks, those adaptations can finally come from within a hero’s kit. Another hero I played with was Orisa, who has undergone significant changes from the more stationary, defense-driven tank she was in the original Overwatch. I have adapted to her brawling, battering-ram-style kit in Overwatch 2, but I miss throwing down a barrier and holding space for my team. Something interesting Blizzard is doing with Perks is bringing back old abilities that have been missing from some heroes’ kits for years. Orisa can swap out her Javelin and get her old shield back. Bastion can self-heal again after losing the ability in his Overwatch 2 rework. The idea that old kits could be reintegrated into Overwatch 2 is one of the most exciting things about Perks because so many of Overwatch’s heroes have lost some of that creative spark that made them appealing in the first place. Sombra was once one of my favorite heroes to play, but thanks to some frustrating reworks that have sanded down what made her stand out in the growing roster I’ve played her less and less. Overwatch 2 has become so fixated on forcing players to carry out team fights the “right” way that the creativity and skill expression of certain heroes have been lost
Overwatch 2 Perks Live Service Games Hero Shooters Gameplay Changes
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