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Despite a somewhat tumultuous development cycle with several key figures leaving Activision-Blizzard, such as director Jeff Kaplan, Overwatch 2 is still very much pushing forward towards a potential 2022 release date. It's been confirmed that many of the returning heroes to Overwatch 2 will receive reworks, some significant while others are minor. Among the significant reworks revealed so far are Bastion and Sombra, who will play very differently from their Overwatch 1 counterparts. Many fans of the first game are likely wondering why so many characters are receiving such massive changes. They often view these reworks through the lens of Overwatch 1 and assume the aforementioned heroes will be overpowered, but it is crucial to remember that Overwatch 2 is an entirely new game.
The biggest change from Overwatch to Overwatch 2, which dictates many other aspects of the game, is the new team size. Instead of six heroes per team with two from each role, one of the tanks is getting cut to make for five versus five matches. This single choice has many other ramifications for Overwatch 2 such as what it means to be a tank as well as a de-emphasis on various crown control abilities. Furthermore, as the first game evolved with more heroes and experimental abilities like Echo, some of the original cast has struggled to keep up. Fortunately, Overwatch 2 seems to be aiming to bring each hero's design up to the same level.
Overwatch 2's Reworks Are A Good Thing
As mentioned, the five-person teams may not seem like a huge change to warrant a new game, but it really is quite a big difference. One less tank player in competitive games means that matches should be much more action-packed than they are currently. This is best seen in the two recently revealed reworks for Bastion and Sombra. These two heroes weren't the most interactive in Overwatch, but for different reasons. Bastion's design limited the player's options, while Sombra's design limits the options of others. Whether more Overwatch heroes receive substantial reworks like this remains to be seen, but both are promising.
In Overwatch, Bastion is stationary for most of the rare matches he shows up in. Five-person teams mean that each player is more important, and having one-fifth of the team be an immobile turret effectively makes it a four versus five match. Not only would this make for unfun gameplay, but it wouldn't be very exciting to watch. Given Overwatch 2's emphasis on the title as an eSport, Blizzard seems intent on making each game fun to watch. Bastion in Overwatch 2 has gained the ability to move while in turret form as well as an entirely new ultimate and tactical, but at the cost of his self-repair.
Relatedly, Sombra's extensive rework is aimed at making her more of an assassin rather than a nuisance. Currently, her abilities revolve around her disruption. Sombra's hack disables enemies' abilities for a short time, making them unable to escape if caught out of position; her stealth is used to get behind enemies instead of entering the fray, and her ultimate just hacks all enemies in a short radius. All of these have been changed for Overwatch 2 in keeping with the game's other design philosophy of less crowd control. Sombra's hack now only disables abilities for one second, however, hacked enemies also take 50% more damage from Sombra, making her an excellent infiltrator who demands precision and proper timing.
While these reworks would certainly be ridiculous if they were adapted into Overwatch currently, it's crucial to remember the significant team size change in Overwatch 2 that will alter how each game flows. It's possible for Bastion and Sombra to look strong on paper, but be awful in-game because of how different the Overwatch 2 meta will be from what was seen in the original game. These reworks are exciting for fans of the two characters, but they are also necessary so that certain heroes are more in line with the core design visions of Overwatch 2. Namely, less crowd-control abilities and more interactive gameplay.
Overwatch 2 is in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.