Overwatch 2 changes PvP mechanics to 5v5

This past Thursday, we got to know more big changes to Overwatch 2’s PvP mode.

The most shocking change is that the game will change from 6-player PvP to only 5. After 5 years of applying 6v6, Overwatch 2 will reduce the number of players per team. The role in the team will be two damage heroes, two support heroes and one tank. According to new game director Aaron Keller, the decision to change this gameplay was made after a lot of testing. The development team agrees that “multiple tanks can create problems.”

“Blizzard has always tried to make combat easier to read and understand. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of what the other 11 players are doing. Therefore, removing the two would simplify things. It also allows players to understand what’s going on around them and make better choices as a result,” Keller explained.

While the reduction to 5 people was shocking, the limitation to only one tank was considered the most surprising change. This decision was made by the new role of tanks in Overwatch 2. As explained earlier at BlizzCon, tanks will play proactively and deal more damage instead of mainly standing behind protective shields.

Some of the big tank-related changes include Winston firing a large bolt from afar, Reinhardt having two Fire Strikes with a destructible Charge, and Zarya sharing the charge with the Particle Barrier with the Projected Barrier.

Further experimentation required.

All new abilities updates for Winston’s Tesla Cannon and Mei’s Endothermic Blaster coming to Overwatch 2. pic.twitter.com/adGLsGYLD2

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) May 20, 2021

Overwatch 2 will be further tweaked to switch to 5v5 c and single-tank strategy. They will update the map as well as change other gameplay to make things more suitable. New maps like New York and Toronto have a design influenced by these major changes. The latest announcement also shares information about the Monte Carlo map, a new city map of the near future.

“When you hit a tire, you don’t leave 5 people behind, but now it’s just 4. The game is still the same strategy as before, but the individual players now have a greater impact. In the map design, the team tried to create a really good space for a hero. If we create a good space for Reaper, or good for Pharah, the team believes that the 5v5 format will also work well with Overwatch’s early maps,” Keller said.

Overwatch 2 doesn’t have a release date yet. At the present time, the game is expected to be available in 2022.

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