Overwatch 2: First Impressions - Closed Alpha Test

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Overwatch 2’s Beta test is coming up on the 26th and I got to play a couple of hours of Closed Alpha time beforehand. While I didn’t get to play any PvE modes, I did get to experience how the new 5v5 PvP matches feel. There are quite a few hero changes and new maps coming with Overwatch 2 and while the Closed Alpha was very limited in what I could play, I got the general feel for how Overwatch 2 would play out in the PvP mode and got to try the new game mode: Push. Here are my impressions after participating in the Closed Alpha test.

First, Overwatch 2 does look absolutely gorgeous. The environments are clean and sharp and the hero looks are updated and refreshed. Opening Overwatch 2 felt like opening Overwatch at launch for the first time but with better graphics and performance. The new maps looked vibrant and lively which was a nice change of map lineups after having the same ones in Overwatch for so long. There’s also a new ping system that allows you to point out specific enemies alongside the callout system in Overwatch 1. The ping system is pretty intuitive and lets you communicate more accurately with your team, which I always argue modern day FPS games need at least a basic ping system since it’s really just a quality of life adjustment.

Ever since the launch of Overwatch, it’s always been a team based game of 6v6 with the basic composition of two tanks, two DPS, and two healers. But now with Overwatch 2, we’re going to be playing in teams of five with only one tank, two dps, and two healers. Playing through unranked matches, this new composition felt very strange since previously you had two tanks to offset damage the DPS and healers could pressure your team with. With having only one tank on a team, it felt