Activision Blizzard's hero shooter Overwatch 2 launched without the environmental kill icon that was included in the original game, and many players want it to return. Overwatch 2 was released in early access on October 4, and although it includes plenty of upgrades and changes to the formula, some players are asking Activision Blizzard to bring back some classic features.
Reddit user Thoxo recently shared a screenshot from the original Overwatch showing Soldier 76 and Cassidy dying to environmental factors with a kill icon reflecting their downfall. The missing environmental kill icon joins a growing list of features from the first Overwatch that Overwatch 2 fans are hoping return, including loot boxes, better rewards for leveling up, a better new player experience, and more. While some Overwatch fans are lamenting some of these changes, other things in Overwatch 2, like the large hero roster once everyone is unlocked, changes to some heroes, and improved UI have been praised as steps in the right direction since launch.
Thoxo's Overwatch 2 post has garnered the attention of many Reddit users, surpassing 2,400 upvotes and sparking a conversation about the return of the environmental kill icon. The post itself is a simple screenshot showing the Overwatch kill feed with Cassidy killing Soldier 76 by utilizing the environment before Lucio quickly exacts revenge on the enemy Cassidy with a similar attack. While this kill feed shows that Overwatch's Lucio used his boop like so many before him to push Cassidy off the map and Cassidy threw a flashbang at Soldier 76 to usher their defeat, now they'd simply show the character dying in the feed with an arrow indicator.
They added the environmental kill icon two years ago in a patch, just to remove it in ow2. I don't get it, it was a cool thing. from Overwatch
Pointing to the fact that Overwatch added the environmental kill icon to the hero shooter merely two years ago, Thoxo questioned why the newer feature didn't transition to the sequel which maintains a kill feed that communicates important battlefield information. The aforementioned icon shows a stick figure with an exclamation mark above its head that's laying in a peculiar position that suggests it's falling, a proper reflection of most environmental kills in Overwatch. According to Thoxo, this Overwatch icon was "a cool thing," and based on feedback that they've received within twenty hours, many members of the community agree with the Overwatch 2 fan.
Given that environmental kills regularly end up as the Overwatch 2 play of a game in a match, several Reddit users have noticed the change to the kill feed, with some being as perplexed as Thoxo. While many Overwatch 2 players have expressed their agreement with Thoxo in wanting the return of the environmental kill icon, the top response suggested that Activision Blizzard intentionally made the change to "achieve a minimalistic look."
Overwatch 2 is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.