{"id":3320,"date":"2025-10-04T03:44:27","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T03:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/?p=3320"},"modified":"2025-11-05T15:12:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T15:12:40","slug":"overwatch-2-directors-take-discusses-games-struggles-and-new-focus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/04\/overwatch-2-directors-take-discusses-games-struggles-and-new-focus\/","title":{"rendered":"Overwatch 2 Director\u2019s Take discusses game\u2019s struggles and new focus"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Large, futuristic robotic animals and soldiers advance through a smoky, battle-torn cityscape with a large spaceship overhead in a scene of Overwatch 2.\" class=\"wp-image-188557 lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Overwatch-2-Invasion.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Overwatch 2\u2019s paid Invasion missions \/ Image credit: Blizzard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d430b2\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>In a recent Director\u2019s Take, Aaron Keller, Art Director Dion Rogers and Associate Game Director Alec Dawson discussed <strong>Overwatch 2<\/strong>\u2018s struggles and also what\u2019s ahead. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d4385e\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>Overwatch 2 has been out for three years now and the anniversary has come with plenty of ups and downs. Developers took some time to <a href=\"https:\/\/overwatch.blizzard.com\/en-us\/news\/24239094\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">look back at some of the reasons<\/a> that Overwatch 2 struggled compared to the original. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"keep-reading \" id=\"kr-690b695d48c76\">\n<div class=\"heading section__title \"><span>Keep Reading<\/span><\/div>\n<ul class=\"d-flex flex-column\">\n<li id=\"post-210650\"><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2025\/10\/overwqtch-2-faceit-league-masters-showdown\">Overwatch 2 FACEIT League announces NA and EMEA Masters Showdown<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"post-208396\"><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/overwatch-2-vs-fortnite\">Overwatch 2 vs Fortnite: PvP precision or battle royale chaos?<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"post-211107\"><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/fury-net-worth\">Fury net worth. How much money did Kim Jun-ho win in his esports career?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-heading-690b695d4a99b\" class=\"esi-heading \">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"overwatch_2_devs_look_back_at_games_biggest_hurdles-2\">Overwatch 2 Devs Look Back at Game\u2019s Biggest Hurdles<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d4b1b5\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>According to Keller, the original Overwatch \u2018felt like magic\u2019 since it had come together so well for all the involved teams. However, he noticed that the magic had \u2018evaporated\u2019 while working on Overwatch 2. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d4ba6b\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re familiar with the history of the sequel\u2019s production, you\u2019ll also remember that the vision for what it was supposed to be changed over time. That sense of working together in lockstep with the team retreated and it was up to us to realign and redefine what this game was supposed to be,\u201d Keller recalled.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d4c177\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>The original focus of Overwatch 2 was to build up the deep lore and vibrant world that made the first hero shooter so special. When the single-player focus failed (and players started to turn on the game over what they felt were broken promises), the team turned to the competitive PvP experience. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d4cc88\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>\u201cAs time went on and we found ourselves improving on many fronts,\u201d Dawson said about joining the team in 2022. \u201cIt gave us the ability to back up a bit and think more structurally around how we plan an Overwatch year. How could we plan for more impactful seasons and surprise players? We needed something more.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Ashe in stylish attire poses confidently with a shotgun in hand against a backdrop of a dramatic explosion and rocky landscape\" class=\"wp-image-209137 lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Guide-for-Overwatch-2-Ashe-skill-kit-large.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d4d446\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>Dawson\u2019s idea was Perks. He pitched the concept after Season 9 and the development team found it quite difficult to implement. However, giving players a way to alter their heroes to match their own playstyle seemed like a worthwhile challenge. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d4db36\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>\u201cOver time, those risks began to pay off,\u201d Keller said. \u201cOur community noticed the changes and improvements we were making, so we gradually started making those bigger and bolder. Adding Perks in Season 15 and Stadium in Season 16 truly set us on an exciting path.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d4e37b\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>At this point, the team felt like Oveerwatch 2 was \u2018so back.\u2019 The magic had returned. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-heading-690b695d4ee5c\" class=\"esi-heading \">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"overwatch_2_lessons_and_future_plans-2\">Overwatch 2 Lessons and Future Plans<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d4f890\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>Over time, the team discovered that they had to \u2018surprise and delight\u2019 players instead of being reactive. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d50089\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>Said Dawson: \u201cBut my takeaway from that experience is that we held certain things too close. We are now more willing to take risks and more willing to give ourselves tougher challenges. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d5079a\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>\u201cOur team is working on a number of those challenges right now. I think we\u2019ve learned so much about working well together and what we\u2019re capable of as a team that those lingering feelings aren\u2019t as scary as they once were.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d510e6\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>More challenges, you say? Indeed, Rogers shared some details about what players can expect from Overwatch 2 now that the team has found its footing. This includes a new \u2018unanounced hero,\u2019 of course, as well as \u2018bold new directions\u2019 in regards to the game\u2019s visuals and themes. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d518bd\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re exploring untapped corners of the Overwatch universe and experimenting with styles and storytelling that will surprise even our most dedicated fans,\u201d Rogers said. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d52147\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>This sentiment definitely intrigued the Overwatch 2 community, although it was quite vague. Others, however, <a href=\"https:\/\/us.forums.blizzard.com\/en\/overwatch\/t\/directors-take-three-strong\/985201\/3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shared frustration<\/a> with the developers\u2019 attempt to gloss over the failure of the original PvE concepts. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-heading-690b695d529a1\" class=\"esi-heading \">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"impact_on_overwatch_2_esports-2\">Impact on Overwatch 2 Esports<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d53182\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>With the Overwatch 2 developer team focusing on PvP, it\u2019s safe to say that there will continue to be plenty of updates that impact the esports scene. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d539ac\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2025\/02\/overwatch-2-perks-owcs-addition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Perks were added to the Overwatch Champions Series<\/a> back in February 2025, adding a layer of depth to team compositions and strategy. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"esi-paragraph-690b695d54148\" class=\"esi-paragraph \">\n<p>Whatever game modes and gameplay changes developers focus on next, it will eventually make its way into the esports scene. And it\u2019s possible that the viewership could grow if these are changes that Overwatch 2 players like. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\/2025\/10\/overwatch-2-directors-take-discusses-game-struggles\">Overwatch 2 Director\u2019s Take discusses game\u2019s struggles and new focus<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/esportsinsider.com\">Esports Insider<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overwatch 2\u2019s paid Invasion missions \/ Image credit: Blizzard In a recent Director\u2019s Take, Aaron Keller, Art Director Dion Rogers and Associate Game Director Alec Dawson discussed Overwatch 2\u2018s struggles and also what\u2019s ahead. Overwatch 2 has been out for three years now and the anniversary has come with plenty of ups and downs. Developers&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-overwatch"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3320"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3325,"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320\/revisions\/3325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}