None of these break the game, but they reveal how much work is left to make sure the entire cast fits into the new ruleset. And Mercy has needlessly had her signature Guardian Angel glide ability complicated with a meter and two keybinds to determine which direction to fly. Wrecking Ball's massive health pool and Sombra's temporary 40% damage buff against hacked targets make both of them ridiculously punishing to uncoordinated teams. Wrecking Ball and Sombra-both heroes who were largely kept in check by the existence of stuns and their low damage output-are a nightmare to play against. The first game left most of its original roster in a state that translates well to the new format, but some heroes stick out. Sojourn is a blend of Soldier: 76 and Widowmaker with the ability to crouch-slide around the battlefield, Kiriko, the new kunai-wielding healer, can not only climb walls, but instantly teleport to allies through walls, and while Junker Queen lacks movement abilities, she can rally her allies with a temporary speed and health boost. The three new heroes launching with the game thrive in Overwatch 2's messier battles. With fewer abilities to slow down the pace of a match, battles don't last long, increasing the demand on split-second decision making. Mei can't freeze enemies in place anymore Bastion is no longer stationary in turret form Doomfist has been reworked from a damage dealer into a hyper-mobile tank. To do that, it removes most of the stuns and knockbacks from damage heroes and turns tanks into Dark Souls bosses with big health bars and a variety of movement abilities. Overwatch 2 loosens the grip that team composition and behavior had on individual play in the first game. When my Reinhardt finally had the courage to swing into the enemy team, pulling their attention away from my flank attack as Genji, I could easily assassinate weak support heroes, but with a strong enough positional advantage and good aim, I could do it all on my own. With one tank on each team and the new addition of role passives (all damage characters get a boost in movement and reload speed after a kill or assist, for example), you don't have to rely on the micro-decisions of your allies. Who exactly is this game supposed to be for? Now, almost every hero, including its three new ones, has been imbued with high-skill mechanics that feel tailored to esports pros rather than the average players with no desire to play at that level. Overwatch, in its original form, was a rare FPS that welcomed non-FPS players, building room in its roster for supportive roles and characters who could win a match with a clutch heal or defensive bubble. The game's shift to an 5v5 format that emphasizes aggressive play and the sweeping balance changes to most of its heroes target Overwatch's most experienced players and not the ones that might return to the game or try it for the first time next week. The limited, early access version of Overwatch 2 that I've played along with other members of the press in the past week hasn't had the joy sucked out of it yet, but I'm worried about its future. I've played all three of the new heroes that will arrive with Overwatch 2 next week and none of them are egregiously strong, but it's going to be something to watch as the game moves forward. And for Blizzard, a company that's estimated to have made over $100 million (opens in new tab) in a month from Diablo: Immortal earlier this year, it's hard not to see how this could go wrong fast. To lock heroes behind the battle pass, even if they're free, opens the opportunity for the monetization and progression systems to dangle what is essentially player power in front of you. I'm skeptical of Blizzard's ability to keep its roadmap of roughly three heroes each year in equilibrium with the rest of the cast, especially when it's only going to get harder as the number grows.
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