The introduction of map rotations in the originalOverwatchwas poorly received by its players, and nowOverwatch 2seems to be making the same mistake. When Blizzard initially brought map pools toOverwatchin late 2019, it was met with such resistance that the developers removed the system in less than a year. The decision to bring it back for the sequel was confusing, and many fans were cautious that themap rotations inOverwatch 2would suffer from the same problems that the old system had. It would seem that their fears were not unfounded.
WhenOverwatch 2launched, it brought over all the heroes, cosmetics, and maps over from the old game – with one key change. The game has transitioned from its 6v6 format into a 5v5 mode. Though this change has definitely been for the better, the problems withOverwatch 2lie more in its overarching systems rather than the moment-to-moment gameplay, with players demandingmore weekly challenge variety inOverwatch 2and fairer prices on its cosmetics. Now, players once again find themselves arguing in favor of removing map rotation from the game.
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The discussion was sparked by Bamfcah, who expressed their frustration on the officialOverwatchsubreddit. Their main criticism centered less on the map rotation feature itself, and more about its implementation by Blizzard. As it stands, the map pool inOverwatch 2only rotates once every Season – with the stated reason being that it lets each Season establish its own identity. The problem with this concept became apparent when players started to report that the maps in the current rotation had already become stale, with many feeling like their favorite map got left out.
The solution that Bamfcah proposes isn’t a new one in theOverwatchcommunity by any means, but it’s the moderate solution compared to just removing map rotation outright. Namely, instead ofwaiting for the nextOverwatch 2seasonto arrive, Blizzard Entertainment could implement map rotations on a much shorter cycle – with two weeks as the ideal middle ground. After all, there’s little use for a Season having its own identity if significantly fewer people are invested in the game because of it.
As it stands, anOverwatch 2season lasts nine weeks. Season 2 will arrive on December 2, and will bring the 36th hero Ramattra to the game, with the expectation that it will last until Jul 26, 2025. Though Blizzard Entertainment might prefer to gather more feedback forOverwatch 2’s current map rotation system, all signs suggest that it could be changed some time next year.
Overwatch 2is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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