Overwatch 2 tank mains fear one Season 13 change will ruin the role

As a seasoned Overwatch 2 player with countless hours under my belt, I must confess that I find the recent announcement regarding the hero swap feature in Season 13 to be a bit puzzling. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the developers’ efforts to keep the game dynamic and engaging, but this new change seems to have stirred up more confusion than it intended to solve.


In a new twist for Season 13 of Overwatch 2, the hero swap feature is being introduced, which has the potential to significantly alter gameplay. However, some analysts worry that this update may adversely impact the role of tanks.

Counterswapping has been a huge issue in Overwatch 2, with players, primarily tanks, constantly switching heroes to get an advantage over their opponents.

As a dedicated gamer, I’m excited about the upcoming Season 13! The developers have shared some fantastic news to balance the playing field – now, when I switch heroes mid-game, my new pick will remain hidden on the scoreboard for a brief period of 15 seconds. This should add an exciting layer of strategy and unpredictability to the gameplay!

According to the developers’ explanation, this modification increases the difficulty of swapping characters between teams, particularly in situations where two opponents are initially positioned in their respawn points, have the game score visible, and swiftly alternate their character selections based on one another’s decisions.

On the other hand, leading players and experts express their disapproval towards this update, as they worry that it may disrupt the game’s fluidity significantly, or further weaken an already challenged tank role.

500th ranked tank player and streamer Flats firmly disagreed with this change, asserting it would not be successful in addressing hero substitutions, deeming it a “ridiculous” or “insane” choice instead.

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As a gamer, I was taken aback when they announced that instead of addressing the counterswap issue, they simply said “you won’t know what they’re swapping to, so you can’t counterswap back.” That’s one heck of a change! It feels like they’ve slapped on the biggest bandaid I’ve ever seen. Now it’s all about reading their moves and anticipating their next steps – it’s become a mental chess game.

Flats suggests that tank players may engage in a standoff or rivalry when deciding whom to substitute, as they swap roles. However, this wasn’t the sole concern within the gaming community regarding this modification.

Reinforce, a former pro, mentioned that it will be quite unusual when the information on the scoreboard doesn’t match up with a new hero appearing in front of you. He also expressed hope that this won’t significantly impact the quality of team fights, as the scoreboard may not provide the necessary preparation.

This shift in S13 is quite unusual; it will definitely take some getting used to when the data displayed on the scoreboard disagrees with a new hero appearing right before your eyes.

— Jonathan Snowden (@Reinforce) October 14, 2024

OW2 pro Durpee also chimed in, noting that this change will be powerful for players who make a quick swap to Widowmaker: “Won’t know enemy went Widow until one of your teammates get headshot.”

Others believed that this alteration primarily benefits the process of counter-switching, but it doesn’t directly tackle the underlying problem.

It’s quite ironic that they directly increased the effectiveness of counter-swapping and labeled it as a reduction (nerf), someone pointed out.

doesn’t this just make counterswapping better as well LOL

— beepcheap (@beepcheap) October 14, 2024

“Doesn’t this just make counterswapping better as well LOL,” echoed someone else.

During the launch of Season 13 in Overwatch 2, we’ll observe how the fresh gameplay mechanism affects the game. If players’ concerns seem justified and the feature negatively impacts the game more than it improves it, you can anticipate minor adjustments to be made in a subsequent update.

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2024-10-15 20:49