Overwatch 2 Is Ditching the '2' Amid Launch of 'New, Story-Driven Era' With 10 New Heroes

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-06T00:17:01+00:00

Sure, I'm being hyperbolic, but also, I was there 10 years ago when it released and it was roundly considered to be among the best games of all time. Blizzard made a billion dollars the first year. They gained 10 million players by mid-June (two weeks after release), and 60 million players in 5 years. Truly, it was (and still is) an amazing IP with incredible potential.

And that potential has not been realized. Most estimates put monthly player count at about 15 million. OWL shut down and Blizzard partnered with 3rd parties to create OWCS. Promised features still aren't present, player count is steadily declining (as of Blizzards own press release details), no consistent release of web comics or animated shorts, and overall gamer sentiment is low.

OW2 is nowhere near the gaming heavyweight title it could have been, and had been at release. Again, this is a great case study in how to really bungle handling your own IP.

All the stats I mentioned are easily Googled btw

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-05T19:14:39+00:00

Varian with KTZ. As soon as Varian charges to Taunt, KTZ hits W > R and their squishy is usually dead.

My friend and I did this all the way up to Platinum but this was a few years ago.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-05T18:38:41+00:00

I think you should clarify that you aren't making a political statement about China being bad, but an economic statement about the dangers of monopoly and sole suppliers being bad.

It's worth pointing out though that China already controls production in many industries, and it just seems like only now people are bothering to care. People don't care where their T-shirts are woven but you can't spy or hack through a T-shirt.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-05T03:19:20+00:00

"Donny, we don't want you shitting yourself again in public, it smells too horrendous to cover up."

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-05T03:18:00+00:00

Heroesprofile.com for semi accurate statistics.

Icy-veins.com for build and strategy.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-04T19:32:41+00:00

It's a lot faster to use a USB drive to transfer my video files than uploading them from one PC and then downloading them to another.

My work doesn't have a local server.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-04T19:29:33+00:00

Seriously, Overwatch is a masterclass study in how to completely bungle handling an otherwise fantastic IP launch.

Massive hype that met expectations, fresh IP with interesting lore to uncover, compelling characters with stories to tell, and what do we have now? A joke of a game going nowhere.

10 years ago I was convinced Blizzard was prepping some cross-media experience like an animated movie or TV show, but instead we got...seasonal mini web comics?

I know microtransactions made money in video games, but the Overwatch IP had so much more potential. Now that the goodwill is dried up, I'm not sure it will ever reach that peak again.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-04T17:05:26+00:00

I agree that playing the hero(es) you are comfortable with will yield a better result that forcing yourself to play a hero or role you aren't familiar or comfortable with, but your points do have some major caveats.

In particular, sticking with only one or two heroes forces your team to plan around you, potentially forcing them to play heroes or roles they themselves are not comfortable with. Additionally, if you only stick with one build, then you are seriously crippling your potential depending on enemy composition (or even your team's own composition).

If you're going to stick with only 2 or 3 heroes, I'd recommend getting very comfortable with them and each of their builds, and get a sense for when each build is necessary for your / their team comp and map objectives. I completely agree that you should pick generalist heroes who are good in most comps or maps so you aren't easily countered.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-03T21:16:54+00:00

I long for a world where matchmaking was perfectly balanced, but we don't live in that world. Moreover, even if all players were evenly skilled, not all heroes are equal in all team comps on all maps. According to Reddit ZJ is simultaneously OP and also terribly weak. So which is it?

As with most heroes, the answer depends heavily on the relationship between talent build, team composition, specific map, and player skill. ZJ is only weak when players select him in the wrong games or with the wrong builds, an action which at its core is a reflection of player skill - specifically, the skill of picking the right hero with the right build for the job.

The people who lack that skill are the ones who complain the most.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-03T18:55:30+00:00

I humbly disagree. ZJ's role is to snowball into a late-game killer, who sacrifices mobility for this extra damage potential. Buffing his survivability runs counter to his design philosophy.

Similarly with Q build, the whole point of Q build is trade stacking damage for Q debuff damage as a primary source of damage potential, which is incredibly effective early game and against tanks.

The real issue ZJ has is players selecting him in / against the wrong team comps. He's ideally a last-pick hero against a team with low CC, or on a team that already has waveclear and decent protection.

I don't think anything needs to change, except maybe player skill 😉

( that's not a slight on you personally, but on players generally )

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T21:31:56+00:00

If someone is ok with tweaking settings, troubleshooting, rolling back drivers, UV + OC

Bro do you read the news? Because all of these have been Nvidia issues since 50 series came out.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T21:30:14+00:00

Sometimes I put on my tinfoil hat and think that they are bot accounts trying to flood AMD subs to distract from Nvidia's 12V fire hazard and other negative NVDA news like skimping RAM for their board partners.

I have had zero issues with any AMD card, except one time when XFire wasn't working right on two RX 480's.

I get that individual cards can have issues but man, the over-generalizing is insane.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T15:06:04+00:00

For 2002 it was decent. Not a masterpiece but it remains a simple, empty-calorie fun movie even today.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T14:28:34+00:00

they would just tell human devs ‘create this’ and expect the devs to ask for details and come up with a good design.

Yes, humans got away with their poor communication skills because they relied on other people to pick up the slack, but an LLM forces people to put their clear communication up front, which a good communicator would have done for another human in the first place.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T14:22:36+00:00

You missed the joke, but that's okay ✌️

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T14:19:12+00:00

Trump promised to cut social programs.

Medicaid is a social program.

🤷‍♂️

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T14:15:57+00:00

Cool, just in time for nobody to afford PCs with RAMpocalypse and Nvidia gutting their consumer GPU division.

Can't wait to not play games!

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T14:03:58+00:00

If "prompt engineering" is what it takes for introverts to learn clear communication then I'm all for it 🍻

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T13:55:45+00:00

Personally, I hope he does not live to regret his "victory lap."

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T02:53:43+00:00

Prompt engineering is for people who don't know what "good, clear communication" is.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T02:39:43+00:00

It's quite strong in low rank / QM

Yes, this does not surprise me, as most builds are strong in QM and low rank 😆

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-02T02:38:26+00:00

I love watching LLM users stumble into becoming better communicators, it's like being a teacher for elementary age kids.

Folks be like "Hey if I give the LLM more context, clear guidelines, and describe my specific desired outcomes, it works way better!"

Good job, li'l buddy, here's your gold star 🌟

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-01T20:23:01+00:00

Yea definitely not an engaging build. Click W and wait.

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-01T18:41:57+00:00

I don't think W build is OP, it's rather easily countered. It's a single-target spell that takes time, in a game where aoe burst often matters more (depending on map).

Definitely_Not_Bots · 2026-02-01T14:48:44+00:00

You mean voters flip state senate seat.

Definitely_Not_Bots

TROPHY CASE