Blizzard Entertainment has been cooking up exciting new features that could revolutionize gameplay. Key updates in the works include the potential return of hero bans, the introduction of map voting, and in-game tournaments.
As the devs continue to experiment and innovate, here’s a sneak peek at what might be in store for the exciting new season 12 of Overwatch 2, launching on August 27, 2024!
1. Overwatch 2 Season 12: Hero Bans, Map Voting, and More
Overwatch 2 lead gameplay designer Alec Dawson dropped some thrilling hints about upcoming features in a recent podcast chat with SVB and Flats, influential voices in the Overwatch community.
Alongside Aaron Keller, the Overwatch 2 developers are exploring innovative features, including the return of hero bans, map voting, and tournaments, in their quest to deliver the ultimate gaming experience.
This move is likely to resonate with veteran players who recall the hero ban system from Overwatch 1, where certain heroes were temporarily banned due to imbalance issues.
Despite the potential risks of imbalance, the community has been clamoring for the return of hero bans, inspired by their success in professional play.
According to Alec Dawson’s revelations in the podcast, hero bans and map voting are the top priorities for the next seasonal update, although the specifics of their implementation remain uncertain.
Nonetheless, the introduction of these features is poised to significantly alter the competitive landscape of Overwatch 2.
1. Hero Bans
In Overwatch 2, each hero brings their unique abilities and playstyle to the table, with new heroes often emerging as meta-definers with each seasonal update. However, the introduction of hero bans is set to disrupt this balance, challenging the status quo and forcing teams to adapt.
By allowing teams to ban specific heroes, this feature will add a new layer of strategy. No longer will teams rely on the same overpowered heroes; instead, they’ll need to develop novel strategies and team compositions to succeed. As a result, this change will breathe new life into the game, and we can expect to see fresh and dynamic competitive play.
2. Role Limits
Overwatch 2 is exploring an innovative ‘Role Limits’ system, as revealed by Game Director Aaron Keller. This experimental feature would restrict the number of players who can choose the same role in a 5v5 match to just two.
Unlike the current open queue system, this new setup would prevent additional teammates from selecting a role already occupied by two players. By introducing these role limits, the game aims to enhance balance and strategy, potentially enabling more diverse team compositions, such as double tank setups, and amplifying the impact of solo players.
3. Tournaments
Lead Hero Designer Alec Dawson revealed that the Overwatch 2 team is now having more serious discussions about implementing highly requested features, including hero bans, in-game tournaments, and map voting.
Notably, the addition of tournaments would provide a fresh competitive outlet, allowing players to showcase their abilities and compete in a new and exciting way.
4. Fixing Hard Counters
Blizzard is addressing the issue of hard counters in Overwatch 2, where certain heroes have a significant advantage over others. Lead Hero Designer Alec Dawson confirmed that the team is actively working to reduce the frustration caused by these one-sided matchups.
By rebalancing these hero interactions, the game will shift its focus from simply countering with the right hero to a more skill-based experience, where strategy and player ability take center stage, making the game more enjoyable for all players.”
5. Map Voting
Map voting, a long-requested feature, is poised to revolutionize the Overwatch 2 competitive landscape.
“You start looking at it like, what are the things we could do to the core game? To start either improving it from a competitive standpoint or adding strategic depth or player agency to it—in or out of the game, that could be something like a map voting system.” says the Dev.
By letting players choose their maps, the game will be more enjoyable and also help the developers understand what maps the community likes best.
When combined with hero bans, map voting will significantly reduce the impact of meta and create a more dynamic gameplay experience. It will also help balance out the game since some heroes do better on certain maps.
With map voting and hero bans, players can pick the maps that work best for them and their team. This will make the game more exciting and challenging.
2. So, What’s Next for Overwatch 2?
The introduction of role limits promises a more balanced and strategic gameplay experience. Reducing the frustration of hard counters will make the game more enjoyable.
Additionally, the exploration of Hero Bans, Map Voting, and Tournaments indicates a strong focus on elevating the game’s competitive aspect.
These conversations indicate a stronger commitment to introducing these features, which have been eagerly awaited by the player community and demonstrate Blizzard’s dedication to enhancing Overwatch 2 and responding to player feedback.
Overall, players can expect exciting developments and improvements as new features and experiments are gradually rolled out, shaping a brighter future for Overwatch 2.
3. About Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 is an upcoming first-person shooter developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. The sequel to the 2016 hero shooter Overwatch, the game is intended to have a shared environment for player-versus-player (PvP) modes with the first game while introducing persistent cooperative modes. A major change in PvP was to reduce team sizes from six to five, which required several characters to be reworked.
Overwatch 2 was launched as free-to-play on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in early access on October 4, 2022.
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