The upcoming Overwatch 2 update is set to revitalize the game's experience.
The actual reason for the existence of Overwatch 2, the announced PvE mode, has been off the table for some time now. Nevertheless, Overwatch 2 still exists, and it is now being extensively revised, so much so that some fans are even referring to it as Overwatch 3.
The Upcoming Patch For Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2: Season 9 is set to kick off with a bang that will turn the existing gameplay on its head. With this, Blizzard hopes to add more rewarding fun to the game. Starting from February 13, you'll be playing Overwatch 2 with the following changes.
Heroes Becoming Stronger And Being Able To Heal Themselves
We all know how frustrating it is to run out of spawn and immediately get downed again with just a few hits. This is set to be reduced in the future by making burst damage less influential. All heroes will receive extra HP on top, so they can no longer be taken down with a few hits in too short of a time.
With all heroes getting more HP, the job of healers will become more challenging than it already is, as it will take longer to fully replenish the additional HP. To ease the burden on healers, a new mechanic will be introduced where all heroes, regardless of their role, regenerate HP over time as long as they are not taking damage. If your character doesn't take damage for 5 seconds, their HP will begin to replenish at a rate of 20 HP per second.
This mechanic is further influenced by role passives:
- Damage role: Dealing damage reduces the target's healing received by 20%
- Support role: Will now begin regenerating health after 2.5 seconds
- Tank role: Reduces knockback received. Less Ultimate charge generated by healing and damage received. Increased health in Role Queue game modes.
Projectile Size Changes
Good news for your aim: In the future, it will be easier to land hits because almost all projectiles will be larger! Due to the fact that the heroes in Overwatch 2 are now quite fast-moving, for example, through a range of abilities, it can sometimes feel a bit random whether a shot hits or not. To not curb the flow of character movement, both hit-scan and travel time projectiles will be larger.
No worries, Moira mains, you'll probably also benefit from changes. Blizzard has announced that heroes who don't use traditional projectiles will receive additional balance changes.
Rank Mode Changes
Overwatch 2 has depicted the Ranked Mode less transparently than the original game, much to the dismay of many players. So far, rank updates have only been displayed every few matches, leaving you unsure of how each individual match affected your rank. From now on, you will receive a detailed overview after each match, showing how your rank has changed and how far you are from the next rank promotion.
That's not the only change reviving an OG Overwatch feature. From now on, your rank will be reset after each season, and placement matches will be reintroduced. This means that at the start of each new season, you'll need to play 10 matches to assess your skill. After that, you'll receive your rank, which you can then continue to improve.
Once you reach the top, you'll also encounter a brand-new rank called Champion, which only the best of the best will achieve. But don't worry, even if you're not quite as skilled, you'll receive new rewards for your dedication in ranked matches. The more ranked matches you play, the more of the new in-game currency, competitive points, you'll earn. With those, you can purchase stylish Jade weapons for your favorite heroes.
This update is arguably the most comprehensive one Overwatch 2 has received so far. We're eager to see if these changes will reignite interest in the shooter.
What are your thoughts on the changes? Share your opinion in the comments!