Overwatch 2 fans defend the game after a shaky steam release and negative community sentiment toward the game, speaking about what they love about their roles and why they keep playing.
Overwatch 2 debuted on steam on August, 10, to an onslaught of unhappy reviews. On August 26, the game had an overwhelmingly negative score based on an average of over 150,000 reviews.
Despite this, players still came to the game’s defense, encouraging each other to look at the positives and what drew them to the franchise in the first place.
Overwatch 2 players came together and reminded themselves why the unique synergy of different roles makes the game feel so great and unique.
Players discuss what makes Overwatch 2 Special
One Redditor asked why the roles in Overwatch 2 make the game so addictive to play. For tanks, is it being a “hulking behemoth?” For damage, is it the pure “vanilla FPS” experience? For support, is it the gratifying feeling of being able to “support rather than being supported?”
Players thought the defining experience for the tank role was hectic gameplay, being focused on by “both your team and the enemy team”. The Overwatch 2 community decided that the fun in playing tank was thriving under pressure, and have the opportunity to “set the tempo of the game.”
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Support was portrayed as a more selfless role as why players are drawn to it. Supports mains described their love for “helping their teammates succeed.” They also loved the respect that other players gave to support. One person said their motivation for picking support was seeing messages at the end of the game like “support w” or “great heals.”
Damage was seen by the Overwatch 2 community as a pure role with simple pleasures. A role that players who weren’t familiar with Overwatch 1 could play and still love the game for its pure FPS features. Players talked about a love to “frag”, and the “high amount of skill” required in raw FPS mechanics.
What’s more, sentiment toward the game from big content creators has drastically shifted. Someone like Flats who has been historically negative when it comes to the direction Overwatch has gone in over the years has been outspoken when it comes to praising Season 6.
Flats said that, though he had some small gripes with the PvE, that he had an “awesome time” playing through the missions with his friends, and that Illari is a great addition to the support role. With casual fans and hardcore players alike praising the new season, things may be looking up for Overwatch 2.
Though players will always have their criticisms for certain game mechanics and balance decisions, Season 6 has seen the community viewing the game in a much more positive light. No game will ever be perfect, but Overwatch 2 seems to be getting closer to a spot that works for everyone in the community.
