Overwatch 2 is celebrating its one-year anniversary today, October 4, 2023. Below, we examine how it has struggled to overcome one of its biggest balance challenges.
Overwatch 2 released on October 4, 2022, replacing the original game with an updated, free-to-play version of the shooter. While the sequel kept much of the original’s DNA, the biggest change was the shift from a 6v6 structure to a 5v5. This change saw the Tank role reduced from two players to one, and while this change has some upsides, Blizzard has struggled to keep the Tank meta balanced or fun since the switch. This has prompted outcry from the community, looking for an improved meta or even the return of 6v6.
Counter-picking
Overwatch has been, and continues to be, a game won and lost based on counter-picking. Overwatch players are not locked into whatever character they pick at the start of a round. Instead, whenever you respawn or enter the spawn room, you have the option to swap to a different character with little to no consequence, only forgoing any progress toward unlocking your Ultimate ability. This means an important part of the strategy is swapping to have an advantage over your opponent. If both enemy Damage players pick close-range heroes, you might want to pick Pharah so you can fly above them, out of range. When you do this, they will likely switch to hitscan heroes so they can shoot you out of the sky.