Overwatch 2: Blizzard Releases Blog Post Details Beta Week 1 Goals and Progress
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Blizzard Entertainment has released a new developer blog post detailing Week 1 of the Overwatch 2 Beta, including goals, progress, rated mode updates and queue times, and more.
Heading into the beta, we were already aware of some big changes to Overwatch 2. Perhaps the biggest change is the standard reduction from 6v6 to 5v5 in PvP mode. In addition to the new maps and mods, we learned that Doomfist will no longer be a damaging hero, but a tank, and we’ve also previewed some big changes coming to the Orisa build. Just before the start of the Overwatch 2 beta last week, Blizzard also released an FAQ that answers questions players may have before jumping. Now, after a week of beta, the company has released a new blog post detailing what it has learned from the beta, what has changed, and how it’s progressing towards its goals.
“The main goals of the first beta were to test the transition to 5v5, new map and push game modes, overall balance, build and server stability,” the blog reads. “We think 5v5 is an important adjustment for players, and we’re excited to hear consistent and positive feedback about players having more fun, having more impact in matches, and enjoying faster-paced combat and engagement. While tweaking the push rules, players seem to really like this new game mode and other new maps.”
“Since this beta is primarily focused on gameplay, balance and stability, many other features and aspects of the game you are seeing are still a work in progress. For example, menu screens, player profiles, different time zone conditions for classic maps, Elements like the full Hero 2.0 Appearance Set have been working hard on areas our team hasn’t yet publicly tested, and what we’re seeing in the game right now is a deliberate design aesthetic, as the golden gun system hasn’t been finalized in this beta build. It’s not a reflection of changes, it’s a reflection of imperfections, as are other UI elements that include a headshot indicator for kill feeds and refine the audio mix.”
Blizzard says it plans to add more content “including heroes, maps, and features” between now and the Overwatch 2 release, adding a significant amount of overall refinement and improvements in the form of an improved UI. , bug fixes, etc.
Blizzard also breaks down different parts of the beta in a blog post, starting with ranked mode and queue times.
Ranking mode and waiting time
If you’ve played the beta, you know that only fast play is possible, so Blizzard said this was intentional. First, because testing with a limited number of players prioritizes matches going faster, and quick play serves that purpose. Second, the studio “is planning some major overhauls to the core Ranked and Competitive mode systems, and it’s not ready for mass public testing yet.”
The team noticed long wait times during beta because queues of tanks and damage players were more popular than support roles. In the meantime, Blizzard said they’re working on enabling Quick Play Classic with an open queue so that players looking to shorten their queue times can easily pick up for the rest of the first beta.
Game Balance and Support Heroes
Bizzard wrote in a blog post that during the Overwatch 2 alpha he felt the support hero was too vulnerable when diving and flanking with fewer shields and no second tank (as a result of the new 5v5 change). The beta revealed that the healer role’s passive abilities were significantly changed, allowing this hero to recover more health faster and improve overall survivability. Blizzard writes, “While these changes have improved overall power and durability, and the beta is performing well across the board, we know that balance is only one aspect that makes the hero enjoyable to play,” Blizzard writes. “We have clearly heard that support players both tank and damage players feel that there is more new content to enjoy and explore in this beta. In the long run, we believe that the most effective way to address this issue is to add exciting new support heroes to the game. In the near future, our hero design team is experimenting with important but shorter lead times, including new and refreshed abilities for some existing support heroes. It could be released after the first beta test, but more likely in the next test.”
New Scoreboard
If you’ve played Overwatch 2 in beta, you’ll notice that the scoreboard is significantly different. It shows you not only your performance in matches, but much more information about the performance of other players as well. It was a controversial change, many claiming it could cause more toxicity, but Blizzard made the change in Overwatch 2 “to allow you and your team to plan and adjust winning strategies” and scrapped both the Fire and Medal systems. to strengthen it.
“For Overwatch 2, players can expect to see key stats for every player in the game in real time on a new scoreboard screen,” Blizzard said in a blog post. Healing is included. Information is presented in a new layout that reflects other competitive games and sports. We want to give players a more accurate overall view of the game. Our team believes that accurate feedback and encouragement can improve everyone’s gameplay experience.”
For more information on the new scoreboard, see the Blizzard blog post. You can also find more information about Overwatch 2’s UI, design, and more here.
