Summary
Overwatch 2, like its predecessor, is a competitive online shooter. While the title has delivered some single-player content,Overwatchas a franchise is defined by its status as an eSport. Updates to characters and modes can impact the competitive experience greatly, and for those who are playing the game at its highest level, potentially their livelihood. Games that are eSports are often updated more incrementally and can be subject to small but frequent changes. While unexciting at times, this approach is important to keep the game stable. WhenOverwatch 2added its new mode Flashpoint, it was relegated to casual modes, and while this decision has been controversial, it was a wise one for Blizzard to make.
Overwatch 2has been struggling to meet the expectations of its fans since its launch. It is currently thelowest-rated game on Steam, and gamers have been questioning the necessity of the sequel since it was first announced. Post-launch, the game has faced a number of setbacks, and even with new modes and PVE content finally coming to the title, it has struggled to gain the goodwill and traction that the first entry in the series enjoyed. In spite of this,Overwatch 2still has a large player base of dedicated fans, and updates and additions could once again shift the tides of public opinion back in the series' favor.
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Flashpoint Will Take Time To Learn
Overwatch 2’s latest update brought a new progression systemalongside new modes. Most notable, perhaps, is Flashpoint, which is currently unavailable in competitive play. On a surface level, it is a king of the hill game mode, except the hill moves when it is captured by one of the teams. The vast majority of players will be able to pick up this concept pretty quickly, but the moving of points adds additional layers of complexity. When the Flashpoint moves, so do the spawns. These spawn points are equidistant from the Flashpoint, but the surviving players on the team that won the previous point will have to travel from it to the new one.
This trek from one point to another for the winner of the previous Flashpoint is part of what makes the mode so complex. It could be longer or shorter than the other team’s journey from the new spawn point or even lead right into the enemy’s spawn. Efficient movement from point to point is hard enough, but all the variables at play amplify this challenge, and the maps are still new. While Flashpoint and its maps will certainly be learned by the player base and evolve into a viable competitive mode, this will take time at all levels of play. Flashpoint’s meta is still a work in progress in a sequel that has already changed theOverwatchmetaa lot.
Blizzard Is Playing Things Safe In Overwatch 2
With this in mind, Flashpoint’s relegation to non-competitive playlists makes sense for the time being. As a meta develops, Blizzard will have to keep an eye on the balance of the mode and adjust it to account for how the community is playing it. While players might be disappointed by the choice to keep it as a casual mode for now, it is a decision that will likely aid the long-term health of the game.Overwatch 2’s invasion updatehas plenty of other content for the community, so the controversy around Flashpoint’s launch will soon be forgotten.
Blizzard’s caution around the launch of Flashpoint is logical.Overwatch 2has faced an uphill battle in regards to its reception, andthe fate of Overwatch League is uncertain. With the future of its competitive eSports league in turmoil, Blizzard must tread carefully and do its best to keep its competitive community happy if it wants it to survive in its current state. On top of this, Flashpoint has the game’s biggest maps, so giving players time to learn them and the mode is an intelligent decision. Despite the controversy, releasing Flashpoint first as a casual mode was the right choice for Blizzard to make.
Overwatch 2is currently available for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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