Overwatch 2 director vows “180” on communication after Battle Pass backlash

Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller has spoken of the complete “180” that Blizzard has made when it comes to transparency and communication with the game’s community.

In an interview with IGN, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller discussed the “scary” shift that Blizzard is making in regard to how the team plans to communicate with its player base.

The new commitment to transparency comes after significant backlash from the community, particularly in regard to the game’s Battle Pass system, which Keller addresses.

“Before we shipped Overwatch 2, we made an announcement that we were putting heroes in our Battle Pass and there was a big reaction from our community around that,” Keller shared. “At the time we thought it was best to just be radio silent there because anything we said the players would just kind of twist it into something.”

But now, learning from past mistakes, Keller admits that the team has completely reversed their communication objectives and is now prioritizing proactive communication and transparency.

“We’ve kind of come 180 from that, like what we want to do is to be in constant communication with our players and to let them know what is coming even if it’s something that might be taken negatively,” Keller said.

Keller mentions that they’re taking steps forward with a “bi-weekly” Director’s Take blog piece in which he speaks with the community about his thoughts on the game.

The Director’s Take is a candid long-form piece in which Keller typically breaks down everything that’s happened and is happening with Overwatch 2.

Although Keller himself has authored just one Director’s Take since September 8, other team members have stepped up to the plate to deliver thoughts, including devs from Hero Design who have discussed Sombra’s new kit and gameplay, as well as reflected on past balance changes.

With the game’s consistent developer updates and a visible roadmap, Overwatch 2 fans now have a much better idea of what’s in the pipeline.

And with the constant gameplay improvements, including new game modes, maps, heroes, and more, there’s certainly a lot for Overwatch 2 players to look forward to.