I Played Every Role in the Overwatch 2 Beta. Here’s What I Learned

It was a relief to see the Monitor 2 beta loading screen on my monitor for the first time. We’ve been waiting for this game since it was announced in 2019.

The sequel to 2016’s popular first-person shooter title was mostly a mystery until the last six months. It was announced that the Overwatch League would be playing on an early build of the game, and the embargo on the alpha just lifted a week ago.

Consider the raging hype as Surveillance had over 1.4 million Twitch viewers on Wednesday, the most in the game’s history.

I wasn’t one of them ’cause I couldn’t stop playing.

I tried as many new elements as possible, played all the roles and did the focused gamer thing in which you get closer to the screen. All I could to win on the Monitor 2 beta Wednesday morning.

Here is what I learned.

What’s new?

If you are looking for completely new content with the Monitor 2 beta, it is a path to let go.

There’s a new hero (Sojourn), four new maps, reworked heroes from the original title, and quality of life changes with new sounds, updated graphics, and a new game mode (push). Respectable, but that didn’t impress me too much.

I still had a lot of fun, and the new content that was out there wasn’t really the reason I thought the Monitor 2 the beta was incredibly fun.

The updates may feel more like a big patch than a new game, but the changes to heroes and the move from 6v6 to 5v5 removed the most frustrating elements of Surveillance. I didn’t spend a lot of time shooting shields because there’s only one tank on each team.

My individual DPS play had more impact, and random teammate hero picks weren’t as punishing. I also felt that my life in the game was more vulnerable, which made the gameplay exciting.

First impressions

I played Monitor 2 for three hours before writing this – enough time to have a quick opinion but admit there’s a lot I don’t know yet. But for context, I’ve spent over 1,200 hours on Surveillancewith nearly 800 of those hours on damage heroes.

I love playing Genji, and my buddies would tell you I force it. Heroes like Genji, glass-flanked cannons that require great skill but are easily countered, just weren’t that good in the old game. The removal of most crowd control abilities like the stun from Cassidy and Brigitte’s Shield Bash made these heroes instantly better. So I admit there is a bias.

But I had a random teammate on Ana who had a line that seemed to encompass everything:

“I was skeptical when I saw Overwatch 2 was going to be 5v5, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance.”

I was on Reinhardt, who felt so much better playing than on Surveillance. The teammate was on Ana. Every move I made and using my cooldown as the only tank on the team felt so important. It was the same in my two matches on the new tank, Doomfist. Yeah, the synergy between two tank players is gone. But the solo tank enabled might be the best era anyway.

Most of the assist feedback I saw was that the role was harder to play with less protection. A tank taken out on both sides was also a buff to flank the DPS. I enjoyed my two games on Zenyatta against other casual players. I won both games and played the game with even damage and healing output. I could see this as a concern for high level players; the supporting role may need to be adjusted.

How to do better

Watch streamers and pros play Monitor 2 and experiencing it myself were completely different. I thought it just looked like Surveillance, but smoother from streams. Playing it, I learned why streamers couldn’t stop the game. Every match was intense and my own gameplay was critical.

It wasn’t until I played it that I realized how much better it was. I got more praise for the game than expected.

But there is more that could be done (I recognize that it was only a beta version).

Dallas Fuel’s review of the lack of new heroes was accurate. Only Sojourn was not enough. It is a safe assumption that the Monitor 2 The developers have many more heroes in all roles ready in the pipeline. It would be bizarre and questionable if they didn’t.

But it’s gonna be a big deal to keep Monitor 2 Costs. Surveillance dropped the ball with this, having no consistent updates and going two years without a hero after the devs focused on the sequel.

More heroes, more cards, a little more risk. Surveillance followers can handle it. And interest in the Overwatch League could also benefit.

I really have to go now. I think I’m addicted to Genji.

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