We're thrilled to announce the return of GamesBeat Next, hosted in San Francisco this October, where we will explore the theme of "Playing the Edge." Apply to speak here and learn more about sponsorship opportunities here. At the event, we will also announce 25 top game startups as the 2024 Game Changers. Apply or nominate today!
Overwatch 2 is going to change more about the way the game works than you might have first anticipated. One of the biggest differences is the size of the teams. Where Overwatch has two 6-person squads fighting, Overwatch 2 will shrink that to 5-person teams. And those squads will have two damage and two support players, and now only one tank.
“There are a lot of reasons we wanted to make this change,” game director Aaron Keller said. “If you think about it, there’s a lot going on in an Overwatch match. And we have always tried to make our combat easy to read and understandable. But even with all the work we’ve done, sometimes it’s just too hard to read what 11 other players are doing on the battlefield. Removing two of them simplifies everything.”
But while this change might simplify the action for players, it is causing a lot of complication for Overwatch 2’s developers right now.
“Something like only allowing one tank cascades into a lot of questions and problems that need answers,” Overwatch 2 designer Geoff Goodman said. “For example, healing can kinda focus on one tank, and does that make them too hard to kill?”
Event
GamesBeat Next 2023
Join the GamesBeat community in San Francisco this October 24-25. You’ll hear from the brightest minds within the gaming industry on latest developments and their take on the future of gaming.
But Goodman says that now is the time to make this change. Blizzard wants to use this sequel as an opportunity to reset Overwatch for the future. It also doesn’t hurt that smaller teams will make it easier to find games as Overwatch 2 gets older, even if you’re not playing with a huge pool of players.
Overwatch 2 is launching in 2022.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.