A few months ago we took a look at Overwatch 2 but here we are with a little bit more information to dissect. A couple of weeks ago, we saw the last matches of Overwatch 1 played in the Overwatch League. At the same time, some of the pro players got their own experience of Overwatch 2. During the Finals, one of the matches played was shown to the public, and on top of that, we saw the reworks to both Bastion and Sombra. It is still not a lot regarding Overwatch 2 but with the knowledge that next season of Overwatch League will be on an early version of Overwatch 2 we can expect more in the weeks and months to come.

The gameplay that we got to see, was not a lot more than what we saw previously during the PvP gameplay live stream. Yes, this time, it is pro players piloting the heroes, which might indicate differing playstyles, thus making it feel like a deathmatch with fights not having too much teamplay. With players that do not play together often, they will lean towards more of a deathmatch style. It could also be that they are still not sure on the correct approach to take with 5v5 Overwatch having no coaching or theory crafting. Something apparent is how important that first pick in team fights will be. With one fewer hero on each side, a 4v5 is a much bigger mountain to climb than a 5v6.

As for the reworks, Sombra is the more interesting of the two. With developers stating that they are looking for heroes to have more damage within Overwatch 2, it came as no surprise to hear that Sombra would be getting a rework. Was this the rework that players were expecting? Most likely not. Going from one of the most utility-heavy heroes in Overwatch 1, Sombra will become far more concentrated into being a flanker. The change to her hack to only having a one-second disable effect, and now adding an extra 50% damage makes her a terrifying foe to any hacked target. Her EMP dealing, 40% of a hero’s current health turns her into more of an assassin than ever before. Hacking while invisible makes her an even scarier assassin with a slower response time. Hacking a target does reveal her as if someone runs past her when she hacks, however. A 3-second cooldown on the hack as well means she can affect multiple targets within one team fight. Yes, she lacks the staying power that Tracer has, but she can maintain a high uptime if she places her translocator close to the team fight. With the extra emphasis on how important the first pick in a team fight is, her ability to get an assassination will push the fights in her favour.

Moving to Bastion, this one makes me quite excited. In Overwatch 1, Bastion is quite boring to play, sitting in one location shooting does not feel like interactive gameplay. Now in Overwatch 2, having less reliance on his turret form and making that turret form moveable with less damage makes him a more proactive hero. These changes make him a potential enjoyable hero to play in Overwatch 2. In Overwatch 1 everyone complains when there is a Bastion in their game either on their team or the enemies. Removing his heal and replacing it with a bouncing grenade that sticks to enemies or the floor seems a bit memey and similar to Junkrat’s primary fire but still is a lot better than his current state. My favourite part of his rework is his ultimate. Becoming an artillery cannon for 3 shots seems like a lot of fun and something different to Overwatch 2. My biggest concern is he may still feel a bit stationery and slow for the expected faster pace with 5v5.

This small taste of Overwatch, while short-lived, is great. I hope we get to see more gameplay and reworks. Yes, I am a little worried about the Sombra rework with how much potential damage she has with what seems like little counter-play, especially with them looking at reducing crowd control. However, if these are the type of reworks they are looking to do, what they will do to other heroes is very exciting and I can not wait to see what they have in store for us, while still having some reservations.