Summary
- Overwatch 2 is getting its biggest shakeup since launch this year.
- Hero perks will be unlockable mid-game, giving you a boost or new ability entirely.
- Stadium is a new game mode, with up to seven rounds and letting you play in third-person.
Overwatch 2 is getting the shake-up fans have been waiting for since the sequel’s launch, with new abilities and a new game mode. These abilities are being added in the form of perks, letting you change how some moves work for the first time in the shooter’s history. Meanwhile, the new game mode lets you play in third-person.
Some of these new abilities were showcased in today’s Overwatch Spotlight broadcast, such as Torbjörn placing a turret on the wall, and Orisa being able to charge her javelin for a more powerful attack. These new additions come after a similar system was scrapped for Overwatch 2, which would have let us unlock new talents for heroes.
Blizzard Reveals The Biggest Changes To Overwatch 2 Since Launch
Perks add new abilities, and Stadium finally introduces third-person gameplay
Overwatch 2’s lead designer Alex Dawson calls perks the “most significant innovation” to the gameplay since Overwatch launched, and it’s easy to see why. Here, he explains that two perks are unlocked during matches, so they’re not equipped before the game starts. The first one you get is a smaller change, such as a cooldown reduction, whereas the next one will completely change how your ability works, or swap it out with a new one entirely.
Perks are being added into Overwatch 2 with Season 15, which starts on February 18.
Perhaps one of the wildest examples we’re shown is Ana now being able to Nano Boost herself as well as an ally.
As well as this, there’s going a new game mode, Stadium. Right off the bat, Stadium stands out by using a third-person camera, like Marvel Rivals, although you can swap back to first-person. Stadium is best of seven, and has a range of game modes within it (Control, Push, and Clash). Between rounds, you can use currency you’ve earned to buy upgrades for the next one. The winner will be whichever team has the most points.
The existing competitive mode will also be getting hero bans and map voting, at long last.
Stadium will join the game in Season 16, so after the next season has wrapped. When it launches, it will be pretty self-contained, with its own competitive system.
- Released
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October 4, 2022
- ESRB
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