In the wake ofMarvel Rivals' massively successful launch,Overwatch 2finally has its first proper competitor. Fans have found it virtually impossible to avoid comparing the two games, and it does seem clear that NetEase took no small amount of inspiration from Blizzard when creating its own hero shooter. And though the“Overwatch 2vsMarvel Rivals” fan debatesare likely to rage as long as both games have active player bases, there’s one field in whichRivalshasOverwatchsoundly beaten: its hero release cadence.
At the time of writing,Marvel Rivalshas been out for little over a month and the game has already added two new heroes in its first season with another two on the way. The game’s developers aim to release a new hero twice a season. Given each season will be three months long, that shakes out to a hero just about every month and a half.Overwatch 2, on the other hand, has long-held its release cadence of four heroes a year. Since theOverwatchfranchise is coming up on its nine-year anniversary, Blizzard seems unlikely to match NetEase’s release schedule this late into the game’s lifecycle. But there might be something the developers can do to stay relevant in the midst of their primary competitor’s deluge of content.
Blizzard Can Bolster The Pace of Overwatch 2’s Hero Release Schedule With More Focus on Reworks
Four heroes a year has been Blizzard’s average pace forOverwatchheroes since the game launched. From the earliest days of Ana, Sombra, and Doomfist, there have always been theselengthy gaps betweenOverwatch 2’s hero releases. This has historically been worth the wait, as Blizzard tends to release content with an unrivaled (no pun intended) level of polish and attention to detail. This has worked wonders until recently; withRivalson the rise, it’s clear that four heroes a year just isn’t going to cut it anymore.
Being almost a decade old, certain characters on theOverwatchroster are showing their age in today’s meta. Characters likeMei, Reaper, and Symmetra are all strugglingin the game’s current environment. Powercreep introduced by new characters like Hazard, Mauga, Juno, and Lifeweaver, as well as the progressive buffs and nerfs to the existing roster, has made some of the characters in the cast feel redundant and in desperate need of either massive buffs or, more usually, fundamental reworks.
Overwatch 2 Reworks Fundamentally Change Old Characters to the Point They Feel Brand New
These reworks, though they don’t add new heroes to the game, have the potential to change the character’s identity on such a core level that they might be as game changing as a new hero.Reaper, for example, has struggled with viabilitysince the proper launch ofOverwatch 2. The removal of the second tank slot greatly reduced how effective he was as “the tankbuster” and the hero has been flailing since trying to find a new identity. If Blizzard were to release a rework of his kit that gave him a revitalized identity in the game, he could find a new place in both casual and competitive play, effectively creating a “new” hero from the old.
Reworks obviously still take time, but the development turnaround will be significantlyquicker than creating newOverwatchheroes from scratch. The developers save time on modeling, voice acting, lore write-ups, cosmetics, and the marketing around the new content drop. As much effort and forethought as a rework takes, all it essentially is essential boils down to creating a new set of abilities, coding them into the game, and balancing them in accordance to what the vision is for the reworked character.
Marvel Rivalshas done a lot to challengeOverwatch 2’s seat as the undisputed king of hero shooters, a title it’s worn for nearly a decade. In just a month,Rivalshas proven itself to be the heir apparent to the crown, but contrary to what some might be saying, there’s plenty of room at the table for both titles. Blizzard just needs to find its footing and find a more robust cadence for its hero releases and reworks andOverwatchwill be neck and neck withRivalsin no time.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
