Blizzard's Overwatch has been a popular entry in the hero shooter genre ever since its release six years ago. It's provided players with an ever-expanding roster of unique characters to utilize in a variety of modes and maps, with each hero boasting their own range of abilities and moves. Labeled as one of the more friendly online shooters, Overwatch has created a solid fanbase through the years due to its impressively diverse cast of characters and accessible atmosphere. After years of frequent updates, themed seasons, and additional content, Blizzard is finally gearing up to release Overwatch 2, with its beta set to start later this month.
Unsurprisingly, the release of Overwatch 2 is going to usher in some changes to the gameplay, with Blizzard looking at how the heroes are balanced, adding new PvE modes, and making additional changes and updates to elevate the overall Overwatch experience. As an online team-based shooter, change is nothing new for Overwatch, but it will be interesting to see how these updates shake up the tried and tested formula. One of the big changes that Blizzard has announced for the next Overwatch game is related to Tanks, which will be modified in Overwatch 2 and will even welcome Doomfist to their ranks in a big change-up for the hero.
The Changes To Doomfist
Overwatch 2's game director Aaron Keller announced that Doomfist was going to undergo some changes by the time the game finally releases, with the Damage hero making the switch to become a Tank, joining other heavy-hitting characters like Reinhardt, Winston, and D.Va. While Doomfist is already a formidable hero in Overwatch thanks to his level of mobility and powerful attacks, it seems Blizzard thinks he would be better suited for a Tank role. Lead hero designer Geoff Goodman said that thanks to Overwatch 2's gameplay changes, it no longer made sense for the character to continue in his current role, especially as “Doomfist’s kit is full of crowd control effects and mobility" moves, which are "difficult to tune and balance [with] him as a DPS" in Overwatch 2 but will help him transition nicely into a Tank position.
Naturally, this change means that Doomfist will have to lose some of his damage capabilities while his defensiveness is improved, so that will mean that his moves like Rocket Punch, Seismic Slam, and Rising Uppercut will need tweaking. Goodman also spoke about the possibility of Doomfist using his gauntlet as a type of shield to protect teammates, which seems character-appropriate and will no doubt lead to some cool-looking moves. Blizzard will be looking to add more defensive moves to Doomfist's arsenal, especially considering that a lot of his defensive abilities are currently passive, which doesn't really make sense for a Tank.
Rebalancing Issues
Although early glimpses at Doomfist's new role in the closed beta for Overwatch 2 seemed to suggest he was pretty overpowered, Blizzard has been looking at ways it can balance him out. Keller compared Doomfist to an existing Tank character, Winston, saying that the former's leap move was reminiscent of the ape scientist's. He went on to describe Doomfist as "more survivable" with "good escape" capabilities in his Overwatch 2 iteration, making him sound like a solid Tank option. It's a big change making the high-damage hero a low-damage Tank, and players will be interested to see how he handles once Overwatch 2 releases.
It's always difficult with a large roster of heroes to make sure that the right balance is struck and that one character doesn't easily overpower others. With Overwatch's tendency to add new heroes every so often, this balance becomes even more important and needs constant attention from developers to make sure it's pitched just right. Overwatch 2 will be bringing in new characters as well as new maps and modes to keep players across both titles up to date and engaged.
While Doomfist's role switching caused a lot of comments in the Overwatch community, he's not the only character that players think should make the transition to a different role. Some gamers have said they think Mei would make another excellent Tank thanks to her high survivability and other Tank-like traits. Echo also seems like a perfect Support hero in the opinion of some players, who think a few small tweaks to her role and abilities could usher in the change. Blizzard will be looking to make many changes over the next few years after Overwatch 2 releases, and these could very well be a few of them.
Changes Coming With Overwatch 2
It seems like Blizzard has been paying close attention to how it can switch things up in Overwatch's gameplay for Overwatch 2, and Doomfist's role change is just one part of that. Blizzard also revealed that team sizes would go through a change of their own, with the current grouping of six players going down to just five. In addition to this, it seems like how the team is made up will change as well, with only one Tank, two Support heroes, and two Damage heroes allowed per team. Keller claimed that Blizzard felt "like this is the next step in the way that Overwatch ought to be played," with the changes set to have a big impact on gameplay. By slimming down the team sizes, Blizzard is hoping to make it easier for players to track what other team members and opponents are up to, making matches more streamlined and focused.
As well as adding Doomfist to their ranks, Tanks are also receiving some other tweaks. Overwatch 2 will be looking at how it can make them "a lot more aggressive" according to Blizzard's lead hero designer, so that they'll "be a little more hybrid-y on the gameplay side, and less just wall protection." The upcoming Overwatch 2 beta will include a brand-new hero, a new mode called Push, the reworked 5v5 multiplayer, new maps, and some individual character changes to help with the overall balance of gameplay. This will be the first time for players to test out these updates ahead of Overwatch 2's launch, and gamers will no doubt be eager to see how they affect their experience of the game and if Blizzard made the right decisions for heroes like Doomfist.
Overwatch 2 is in development.