After what felt like an eternity of mixed messages and skepticism, the Overwatch 2 (OW2) Beta finally released on April 26th. PC gamers who got into the beta have now had the opportunity to experience first-hand the major changes Blizzard Entertainment implemented in this new version of the game.
Overwatch 2 has ditched the 6v6 play of Overwatch in favor of 5v5 with the off-tank role being the odd man out and all heroes have been tweaked to reflect the change in playstyle. Damage (DPS) heroes feel like they’re in a good spot with many receiving buffs and better overall kits. Everyone’s favorite Omnic, Bastion, no longer has a stationary turret mode, but instead a 6-second mobile turret mode; something that critics are a fan of, but beta players seem to be mixed on. Tanks have been the most affected class with off-tanks now feeling underwhelming in comparison to their main-tank counterparts; the only exception to that comparison being Orisa. Orisa has received major changes to her kit, which include an energy javelin that will stun and launch enemies backwards and ‘Terra Surge’ which allows Orisa to sweep in enemies, while fortifying herself (taking less damage from all sources) and charging up to create a surge of damage. Orisa has become so overpowered that she is almost a 100% lock in teams throughout the beta.
Along with hero changes, the beta also features several new maps and a new game mode called “Push.” In this game mode, both teams fight to control a robot that pushes a large block into the enemy’s territory. Similarly to Escort maps, Push maps feature checkpoints along the path that allow for closer spawn zones. Teams must also keep at least one player near the robot to have it continue pushing in their favor.
The Overwatch community, which has been starved for any significant content updates to the game since 2020, has been very engaged with the release of the OW2 beta. Overwatch broke its Twitch record for concurrent viewers with over 1.5 million on the beta’s launch day. This initial beta test will continue to run until its conclusion on Tuesday, May 17th.
Image taken from: playoverwatch.com
