Overwatch 2 devs have responded to concerns the Blizzard sequel is having issues behind the scenes, which were originally sparked by reactions to an “unfinished” preview for star OWL players in early September.
After more than a year of teases, trailers, and whispers about Overwatch 2, players finally got a first real look at the Blizzard sequel at the Overwatch League finals.
Pro players were then invited to a closed-door playtest to see how the sequel’s early build felt in the hands of the game’s best. The gameplay, which Blizzard released soon after, has left players divided.
Some were excited, while others, like former-pro-turned-streamer Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel, are already fearing the worst about the Blizzard title.
The biggest concerns bubbling out of the community so far are that the early Overwatch 2 footage looks “exactly the same” as the original, and that the swap to 5v5 gameplay may be a mistake in the long run.
Blizzard has now responded to those fears, revealing they’re “stoked” everyone is sharing opinions on the early Overwatch 2 footage, positive or negative.
Overwatch 2 developer Andy Belford, going by Blizz_AndyB on Reddit, said the wave of early responses — both good and bad — hadn’t changed Blizzard’s plans for the Overwatch sequel “even a little bit.”
In fact, Blizzard welcomes reactions, no matter what they are.
“Speculation and theorycrafting is the result of an audience that cares deeply about the game we’re making,” the Overwatch 2 developer explained. “We’re stoked to see all of you discussing the gameplay from the playtests.
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“As a development team,” he continued, “we find tests like this super valuable. We can’t commit to anything specific, but [more alphas] are certainly possible.”
Overwatch 2 — which was first announced all the way back in 2019 — is still boiling away in the Blizzard labs for now, with a variety of changes already being tested, including reworks for Bastion, Junkrat, and Sombra.
Doomfist, Sigma, and Orisa are also in line for major changes.
Perhaps the biggest changes are coming via two of Overwatch’s classes. Tanks and supports are both being overhauled in the sequel. Healers will lose some potency due to heal debuffs, while most Tank characters are being “totally rebuilt” so they can survive in the new ten-player landscape.
Belford admitted any changes could have “far-reaching ramifications,” so Blizzard will keep treading carefully. He added, “It’s all incredibly complicated.”
