What's old is new again as Blizzard has finally launched Overwatch 2 after a lengthy development period. For longtime players, the game may feel a bit familiar as Overwatch 2 brings a ton of content over with it from the original game, including the already large roster of characters, maps, and game modes that made the game incredibly popular. For all that remains similar, Blizzard did introduce and tweak a number of things as well.
The biggest change for fans is the fact that Overwatch 2 is free to play, ditching the premium price and loot box system for seasonal battle passes, a mechanic that most live service games employ. In terms of content, new heroes like Kiriko have joined the roster alongside new maps, the Push game mode, and a reduction from 12 to 10 player matches. While the latter is still being debated by many in the community over how well the change works, Blizzard also made tweaks to other returning elements as well.
One such tweak came to the Endorsement social feature that was originally implemented in a post launch update for the original Overwatch. While the system is largely the same as it was, Overwatch 2 tweaks the concept a little bit and may even be a little more important than they were before.
What Are Endorsements?
Originally intended to be a way to combat rising toxicity from Overwatch players, Endorsements are a way to celebrate players by rewarding them. Essentially, they act as recognition by other players in the match for those who have shown good behavior, being a strong teammate, or generally someone who has been fun to play with during a match.
In the original Overwatch, players could assign 3 endorsement categories, 2 for a teammate and another that could be given to anyone in the match. Shot Caller could be given to a teammate who the player viewed as a strong leader or strategist. Good Teammate could be assigned to someone who was viewed as helpful, while Sportsmanship could be given to anyone in the match who appeared respectful and a positive influence.
How Do They Work in Overwatch 2?
While the method remains the same in Overwatch 2, the three categories have been combined into a general endorsement that can be given out twice and only to teammates. Following the end of a match, players can hand out endorsements to only two teammates. It's also worth noting that to prevent endorsement boosting, Blizzard does not allow players to endorse their friends as well as endorsing the same player more than once in a 12-hour span.
Endorsement Rewards and Levels
The more endorsements that a player receives, the higher the rank they'll get. Endorsement levels run from the default 1 up to a maximum of 5. While loot boxes were originally given out as rewards, Overwatch 2 players will periodically earn Battle Pass XP. There's no fixed amount and the value increases the higher the Endorsement level a player is.
For players curious as to what their current Endorsement Rank is, they can go to their Career Profile where a number can be seen under the Overview tab. In addition, the Social Menu allows a player to check the Endorsement levels of others including friends and those who were just in a match.
Overwatch 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.