Blizzard Director Speaks Out The Future Of Overwatch 2 Following Team Changes And Layoffs

What does Blizzard’s director have to say about the current state of Overwatch 2?

Aaron Keller addressed recent changes within the MOBA’s team and across the company, expressing gratitude for departing members while emphasizing transparency and community engagement. He acknowledged the difficulty of addressing the public amidst what transpired, but stressed the commitment to maintaining open communication. Keller mentioned Season 9 and shared insights into the reasoning behind upcoming Competitive changes.

Season 9 of Overwatch 2 is supposed to greatly improve the Competitive system, addressing issues such as rank transparency and reward structures based on player feedback. The reworked system aims to provide clearer information on player progression, with ratings updated after every match and additional insights into rank changes. Blizzard is trying to incentivize player improvement and engagement through consistent awarding of Competitive points and exclusive rewards like Jade weapons.

There’s also gameplay adjustments aimed at enhancing shooting mechanics, reducing burst damage and in-combat healing effectiveness, and empowering Damage heroes. These alterations — including health buffs to heroes and a new Damage Role passive affecting healing received — seek to create a more balanced and dynamic gameplay experience, according to the developers.

Blizzard said they will keep closely monitoring player feedback and meta shifts post-launch, promising swift updates based on community input.

Note: Activision Blizzard has been sued by California’s Civil Rights Department, alleging violations of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and Equal Pay Act. CEO Bobby Kotick is alleged to have known about the alleged violations within his company. These allegations have all been denied by Activision Blizzard and the company points to additional diversity and inclusion training as past examples of taking the accusations seriously at the time they were made. This case has been settled for $54 million.