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Video game reviewer videogamedunkey has ripped into the Overwatch 2 beta, calling out similarities between the sequel and the original. The first Overwatch 2 beta released on April 26, along with a list of Twitch streamers who would be given access to play it. At the time of writing, Overwatch‘s official website has the option for any curious player to opt-in for a chance to play future betas.
Overwatch rocked the world of online gaming with its debut back in 2016, but as the years passed its fame devolved into infamy due to balance issues, bugs, and toxicity from players. This was only dragged further along as the reputation of Overwatch‘s developer and publisher, Blizzard, has also suffered in the past few years. Blizzard has gone through several staff changes, including the departure of the original game director for Overwatch Jeff Kaplan, and dealt out massive staff layoffs. This is on top of multiple workplace harassment lawsuits against Activision Blizzard, which have impacted public opinion on Blizzard as a company. Paired with a series of disappointing changes to Overwatch‘s gameplay and character balancing. this has left many fans feeling frustrated and overall negative toward the game itself.
YouTuber videogamedunkey has commented on the new beta, stating Overwatch 2 might as well be called “Overwatch 1.1,” being more of the same with only a few changes. “You can never escape the feeling that you’re still just playing Overwatch 1,” the content creator added. The most notable change in gameplay is that matches are now 5v5 instead of 6v6. To adjust to the new team sizes, teams will now have one tank with a power boost instead of two tanks. However, as dunkey goes on to explain, this seems to be the only adjustment taken into account for 5v5 teams. Other changes and additions to Overwatch 2 include several new maps, a scoreboard, adjustments to the characters Bastion and Orisa, and a new character named Sojourn. However, all the other characters in the roster seem to be untouched. This leads to matches feeling unbalanced, full of characters that were designed for 6v6 gameplay.
dunkey’s gameplay footage backs up all of the claims made by the YouTuber, showing off rather confusing gameplay similar to the first Overwatch. At one point in the video, dunkey pauses the review to assure viewers that footage shown is from the beta and not the original Overwatch. Of course, dunkey is known for funny commentary and amusing takes, so it’s hard to say just how much of the video is intended to be purely comical commentary, though dunkey’s criticisms seem valid.
While the major changes in Blizzard’s staff could be a factor as to why the expectations for Overwatch 2 are not being met, the fact that so little has changed after all this time will likely leave fans feeling surprised and disappointed. The game is still in early beta, meaning there should be plenty of changes to come as beta testers submit their feedback, but overall this has been a lackluster debut. dunkey is far from the only player to wish that Overwatch 2 would learn from the mistakes of its predecessor. There are likely plenty of changes to come to Overwatch 2 before its full launch, and player feedback will be critical to development.
