Blizzard recently gave fans an inside look into the development of Overwatch 2 during its June reveal event. This event focused on all the changes coming to the sequel and shined a spotlight on the newest Tank hero, Junker Queen.
Overwatch 2 is aiming to do more than just add more content to its popular multiplayer; it is trying to change the experience altogether. From altering current heroes and maps to adding completely new game modes, maps, and heroes, this newly revamped hero shooter will feature plenty of changes. Perhaps the biggest change comes in the form of the team size being reduced from six to five and the loss of one tank role per team. Blizzard has responded to fan's concerns over this drastic change by doing a deep dive into Junker Queen's kit and expressing how important she is to the new setup.
How Overwatch 2 is Changing the Team Setup
Fans of Overwatch know that there is a very specific setup for each team that allows each of the six players to choose between Damage, Support, and Tank roles, with two of each role allowed per team. This setup has done very well for the original title, but developers have noticed that the gameplay can become stagnant, and the usual metas call for current tanks to over-utilize their shields and not actually join the fight.
In Overwatch 2, each of the three roles are receiving substantial alterations. Thanks to each role now getting a specific passive ability and many of the heroes receiving role changes or reworks, each hero is able to act more independently. More specifically, the necessity for giant shields has been taken away, with a focus on tanks being brawlers whose goal is to disrupt the enemy team and carve a path for their team.
What Junker Queen Means for the New Tank Role
Junker Queen was introduced as the 34th hero to join Overwatch 2 during the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase but with little to no details about how she would play. Luckily, during Blizzard’s reveal event, players got a lot of information as to who Junker Queen is and what she is going to bring to the battlefield.
The developers behind the creation of Junker Queen expressed that she is the first Tank hero to be added to the game with the 5v5 playstyle in mind. This means that, as opposed to having to get her kit retroactively reconfigured to suit the new playstyle like all the other Tank heroes, Junker Queen’s weapons and abilities are brand new and show what Blizzard wants to do with the characters in Overwatch 2.
The newest hero’s kit definitely emphasizes her being an aggressive character. With Junker Queen possessing many close-quarters combat weapons and abilities, her goal is to charge into the enemy frontlines and wreak havoc. Additionally, one of Junker Queen’s abilities is a battle cry that bolsters her team’s speed and armor, and her weapons apply a debuff to enemies that renders them unable to be healed for a short amount of time, which even further exemplifies her role as an aggressive disruptor who can lead her team's charge into battle.
Blizzard is showing just how committed it is to providing a new and improved experience to fans with Overwatch 2. The June event also unveiled a roadmap for the addition of more new game modes, maps, and skins; it also further explained the recent change of the multiplayer becoming free-to-play. Most notably, this roadmap shows that many new heroes are in the works, one of which is another support hero who will join during the launch in October. If Junker Queen is any indication of the ambitious changes coming to the sequel, then there is sure to be more fun and interesting content coming to Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2 will be available in Early Access on October 4 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.