Overwatch 2: Adapting and Future Prospects Following the Scrapping of Hero Mode

On May 16, 2023, Blizzard made a startling revelation. Despite consistently showcasing and promoting a story-driven PvE Hero mode as a major addition to Overwatch 2, the beloved game, Blizzard announced that it was abandoning this idea.

The response from fans, including myself, was overwhelmingly negative and immediate. After the announcement, one question constantly resurfaced in my mind: What would differentiate Overwatch 2 from its predecessor without the inclusion of Hero mode? It seemed illogical to me to create a new game with a "2" in its title that simply felt like a patched version of its predecessor, especially one that lacked the spectacle and emotional depth that made the original game one of my all-time favorites.

It has been almost half a year since the announcement was made. Over these past six months, I have constantly pondered and experienced a fluctuation in my love for the game, as I witnessed the studio introduce overwhelmingly expensive microtransactions alongside expertly crafted characters. Finally, the opportunity arose for me to directly address this concern to the game's executive producer.

Just before the Overwatch 2 team took the spotlight at BlizzCon, Jared Neuss engaged in an interview with Our Website. The discussion revolved around the current state of Overwatch 2 and its future prospects as a hero shooter. We also delved into the studio's latest hero designs, as well as the potential expansion of the Overwatch universe through books, television shows, and various forms of media.

What sets Overwatch 2 apart from Overwatch? What is the main differentiating factor? In your opinion, what is the key message you want people to take away and why should they choose to play it?

Neuss: I want players to perceive Overwatch 2 as the ultimate competitive live game with unparalleled support. I want them to truly feel that our development team genuinely cares about their experience, that we prioritize their satisfaction, and that we continuously strive to enhance the game to its fullest potential. If, in the coming years, people are echoing this sentiment, I would be absolutely delighted.

We have made significant progress this year in delivering an exceptional experience. Although we acknowledge that there is still room for improvement and that mistakes will be made, we are committed to striving for excellence. Our ultimate goal is to create a game that is supported, loved, and well-served by its players. We hope that our dedication and passion for the game are apparent to our fans, and that they derive as much enjoyment from the game as we do.

A screenshot from the scrapped Hero mode originally planned for Overwatch 2. Following the cancellation of Hero mode earlier this year, the Overwatch 2 team experienced significant backlash. What was the atmosphere like in the studio after that? Did you encounter issues with harassment? How did you address these challenges, and what is the current situation?

Whenever there is a significant alteration in goals and a shift in approach, there is always a period of upheaval. Maybe you're familiar with the concept of storming, forming, and norming, but there is a moment where we acknowledge the decision to not be able to deliver the promised player experience in 2019 and identify a new way forward. During this adjustment period, it becomes necessary for everyone to embrace the new direction and adjust their focus and expectations accordingly.

The dedication to delivering the story content and engaging players, along with the team's continuous effort, greatly facilitated the smooth transition. Now, after some time has passed, we are all gradually adjusting to the current situation and our priorities.

For the first time in a while, we have a roadmap for the entire upcoming year, signifying a reset that occurred earlier this year. This reset has allowed us to concentrate on the future and establish our goals for the next 12 to 18 months. It's truly exciting to be able to plan so far ahead.

Can you provide any details about the roadmap for the upcoming year and how you plan to compensate for the absence of that mode?

The main focus for next year is to be extremely responsive. An important lesson we learned this year is the significance of swiftly acting upon player feedback and incorporating it into the game. This proactive approach is crucial for a constantly evolving game like ours, which receives daily updates.

We have made significant progress this year in becoming more efficient, implementing changes, addressing balance issues, and other related aspects. However, we have not been able to explore new future directions as quickly as we would have preferred. Therefore, in 2024, our focus will primarily be on this aspect. Many of the event modes that we are currently working on are aimed at understanding our players' preferences and dislikes.

For the upcoming Season 8 and Season 9, we have several smaller plans in place. These plans revolve around testing specific ideas and gauging people's reactions. We want to understand how the game would be received if certain elements were modified or altered. By launching these changes and observing player feedback, we can then make informed decisions going forward.

What are the difficulties associated with being so responsive? How is the system for engaging with fans structured?

That's an area that we definitely need to improve upon. This year has been quite chaotic, I would say. At times, team members take it upon themselves to gather feedback, whether it's from fellow players, online sources, or their own gameplay experiences. Every member of the team is passionate about Overwatch, so we receive feedback daily through our internal channels.

Is there a specific system you plan to implement for gathering more direct player feedback?

Internally, we frequently discuss this matter. Our approach to gathering feedback has undergone some changes. In addition to ad-hoc listening on social media, listening to players, and listening to our team members, we have incorporated useful tools for social listening. Through these tools, we are able to effectively collect global conversations and opinions expressed online.

Furthermore, we conduct numerous surveys and organize focus groups to involve players directly and gain insights into their perspectives. This allows us to align our goals for a particular matter with their perceptions, as it is crucial to validate our understanding against their thoughts. When working on a project for weeks or even months, it is easy to become too close to it and lose sight of the bigger picture.

So by doing this more frequently and taking a slightly more assertive approach in showcasing and introducing content, we have initiated a shift this year. This change will persist into next year as well. In my opinion, there is no substitute for receiving hands-on feedback from individuals who play and have a deep appreciation for your game.

The latest addition to Overwatch 2's roster is Mauga. What stands out is the manner in which you reveal these new heroes. Without delay, Overwatch 2 offered players the opportunity to test out Mauga during a weekend free trial period. Furthermore, we have already unveiled concept art for the subsequent two heroes. It appears that you are involving fans in the anticipation of these heroes earlier than ever before.

Certain moments in Overwatch 2 this year have reaffirmed the direction we wanted to go in. The team has always wanted to operate in this way, but there may have been instances where they were slow to react. However, they received the push they needed to be more open, transparent, and responsive to the feedback from the players. This mindset was already present within the team, but it became evident that it was necessary to support a free-to-play live game when we launched the game.

Throughout the year, there have been specific instances that called for transparency and quick response. One such example was the launch of Lifeweaver, where players expressed concerns about the hero's strength right from the start. We promptly took steps to address these concerns. We were also prepared to handle similar situations with Illari and experienced something similar with the launch of Sojourn in Overwatch 2, where her strength at certain levels of play needed to be adjusted.

To summarize, it seems that the team's movement towards this direction was already in progress when I joined. We have observed the power and effectiveness of responding to live events and utilizing the available tools. This has led to a momentum in our actions. Whenever we have been able to quickly address players' needs, the outcome has been positive and we have felt a sense of fulfillment in fulfilling our mission. This positive feedback has further contributed to our progress.

Moving on to the game's heroes, we currently have 39. Do you foresee a limit in the future? Are you considering reevaluating the frequency of adding new heroes each year?

There is no limit to the number of heroes we will develop. Our goal is for each hero to have a distinct personality, role, and archetype that fills a gap in the roster. They should bring something significant and impactful to the game. Our team constantly generates new and innovative ideas, and we focus on implementing the most impactful ones. This year, we added several support heroes that were well-received, such as Lifeweaver and Illari. Adding a DPS hero and expanding the tank roster will also have a positive impact.

Team 4 excels in various aspects, but their exceptional talent lies in their abundance of innovative ideas for exciting game features.

This year, the introduction of numerous characters, along with those hinted for future seasons, showcases a noticeable deviation from the Overwatch 1 roster. The new additions predominantly exhibit a younger, attractive, and more humanoid appearance. Is this a deliberate strategic shift?

This topic is truly remarkable. However, we have yet to establish a definitive stance on it. Our esteemed heroes strive to create relatable characters, representing diverse cultures and elements of our world. While it would be easy to continue portraying only human or humanoid characters, predominantly young ones, we face an intriguing challenge. We aim to introduce unique Overwatch characters that other games may shy away from. An excellent illustration of this is Wrecking Ball. Winston also embodies this concept exceptionally well. A super-intelligent space ape is an archetype rarely seen in games. Winston is an integral part of Overwatch, so much so that it is unimaginable to envision the game without him.

For us, it is important to create characters that people can relate to and feel represented by, both in our present world and the future we envision. At the same time, we want to have fun and create characters that resonate with individuals who may be different from the norm or not human at all.

Currently, we don't have a perfect approach to this. Finding the right balance will always be a challenge. Our focus right now is on creating characters that connect with our player base. However, as we continue to develop and expand, there is no limit to the number of heroes we can introduce. So, brace yourself for some truly imaginative creations in the future.

When speaking with fellow fans, many express their love for the game's narrative and characters. This love is further explored through mediums like comics, animated shorts, and experiences such as Loverwatch. However, have you considered other possibilities to expand on this effort? For example, have you thought about creating a Netflix animated series similar to Cyberpunk or Castlevania?

If you can imagine any idea for how we can further develop this world, rest assured that we have extensively discussed it. There are no limits to the directions we can take with these characters in this world. Currently, our main focus is to continue refining Overwatch 2 and ensuring that it becomes the best game possible.

But as you saw this year, we have been actively exploring different narrative techniques and diverse depictions of heroes. These experiments will continue into the next year. Loverwatch, in particular, was a prime example of us fearlessly pushing boundaries and venturing into uncharted territory. And as we move forward into the next year, expect us to delve into even more innovative endeavors. Hopefully, in the near future, we can share more details about these exciting ventures. However, it seems that there is no limit to the possibilities we can explore within this expansive world. We have a plethora of remarkable ideas in store.

Promotional art from the Le Sserafim x Overwatch 2 crossover event. Moreover, Overwatch 2 has also wholeheartedly embraced various crossovers. We saw collaborations with One-Punch Man, Diablo IV, and now, Le Sserafim. What motivated us to pursue these partnerships? What value do you think they bring to the game?

I believe it offers us another means to showcase our devotion towards things. If I were to put it in a geeky manner, these partnerships are primarily derived from the interests of our team. When considering potential future collaborations, we always ask ourselves if it aligns well with the individuals involved, the anticipated enjoyment of the audience, and the larger community.

With One-Punch Man... All of us are enormous fans of One-Punch Man. We have numerous anime enthusiasts and K-pop enthusiasts on our team. Thus, collaborating with Le Sserafim was a significant opportunity for our team members. Additionally, we are aware that there is a substantial number of game players who are also deeply interested in it. Hence, this collaboration provides us with another reason to celebrate as a part of this beloved game.

Lastly, let's discuss metrics. Have you observed any significant increase in the number of active players since the game was made available on Steam?

We have indeed witnessed a considerable influx of new players on Steam, which is fantastic. Moreover, not only are newcomers trying out the game on Steam, but we also have players returning and choosing Steam as their main platform. Additionally, there are players transitioning from Battle.net to Steam or even using both simultaneously.

I particularly enjoy the flexibility offered by multi-platform games, including our own. It has been gratifying to witness players joining and navigating different ecosystems.

Can you share the current player count for Overwatch 2 compared to Overwatch 1? Have you observed any variations in the player demographics?

The game is thriving with a significant increase in the audience. What's particularly exciting is the healthy combination of long-time Overwatch players and new players, which was the intention behind making the game free-to-play and available on multiple platforms.

In terms of the game's population, player satisfaction, and active engagement, we're extremely pleased with our current status. Of course, like any game in our genre, our goal is to continuously expand and attract more players. This objective will remain our focus moving forward.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Editor's P/S

As an avid fan of Overwatch, the news of the scrapped Hero Mode was a huge disappointment. The promise of an immersive story-driven PvE experience was one of the main reasons I was excited for Overwatch 2, and its cancellation left me feeling deflated and concerned about the future of the game.

However, after reading this article and hearing from the game's executive producer, Jared Neuss, I feel more optimistic about the future of Overwatch 2. It's clear that the team is committed to creating a compelling and competitive live game that will be supported for years to come. I'm excited to see what they have in store for us, and I'm hopeful that Overwatch 2 will live up to its potential and become the ultimate competitive live game.