Brand new to Overwatch? Check our new player guide for what you need to know!

---

Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play game that became available in October 2022. Several years after Blizzard released the game’s first version, the company decided it was time for its successor.

While it is true many people who play Overwatch 2 have some experience with the game, others are new to it. Unsurprisingly, many of them have loads of questions, which is why we will try to answer all of them in this article.

The concept

Overwatch 2 is a team-based FPS where players can choose from a couple of game modes. Although there are loads of fun options, most people prefer to play Competitive games or Quick Play. When choosing one of these two options, you will be placed into one of the two teams, which consists of five players. Previously, teams had 6 players, but Overwatch 2 lowered that number to 5.

Your goal is to win the game by completing different objectives, depending on the map. Speaking of the devil, Overwatch 2 will give you access to a total of 36 maps. However, once you try the Competitive Play or Quick Play options, you will only have access to 27 alternatives.

The maps are divided into several groups, depending on what you need to do to win. These include Escort, Control, Push & Hybrid. Interestingly, some of these maps are also available in Overwatch 2’s other modes, such as Deathmatch, Elimination, and Capture the Flag.

Heroes & Roles

Now that you have a good idea of what you need to do while playing, it is time to take a look at the heroes. One thing that sets Overwatch 2 apart from the game’s previous version is the additional 3 new characters. Now they’re available, the total number of heroes in Overwatch is 35. 

Each character has certain abilities that allow him to deal damage or support his allies. Interestingly, the heroes are divided into three big groups, depending on their role in the game:

The DPS is the biggest group and consists of names like Sojourn, Widowmaker, Tracer, and more. If you pick one of the names that fall into this group, your goal will be to do damage and kill as many opponents as possible.

Tank is the second group of heroes, and it consists of characters with different defensive abilities and/or way more HP than others. Before Overwatch 2, teams usually had two tanks, but since Overwatch 2 introduced the 5v5 format, teams only have 1 tank. 

If you decide to play a tank, your role is to protect your allies while simultaneously pushing and staying alive. There are different kinds of tanks to choose from because some of them have barriers, whereas others stay alive by doing damage.

Lastly, we have the support. As their name implies, their goal in the game is to help their allies. Most of them achieve that by healing them, but some heroes provide extra damage, attack speed, movement speed, and more.

How to win in Overwatch 2?

To win in Overwatch 2, you must play with your team and complete the specific map’s objective. This sounds easy on paper, but it can be really complicated, especially once you reach some of the higher ranks in the game.

Similar to any other esport where you have to play with other people, playing as a team is key. You need to communicate with your allies and get heroes that work together. Every meta has its specific combos that work well, so it is up to you to learn more about them before you start playing.

In-game items

People who are new to Overwatch 2 usually want to know more information about the different in-game items. Before we point out some of the things every player should be aware of, it is important to know Overwatch 2 does not have any in-game items that provide some kind of benefit. Every item only offers cosmetic changes, so it does not provide extra damage or any other perks.

Another thing we want to mention in this Overwatch 2 review are cosmetics like skins. Skins change the appearance of a given hero, additionally, players can buy a golden version of the given hero’s weapons, but only when they have enough Competitive points.

Aside from the skins, the game has loads of other cosmetics, including: 

• Victory Poses
• Sprays
• Collectibles
• Emotes
• Voice Lines
• Highlight Intros

You can win some of these rewards randomly, but you can also open the in-game shop and buy them. Keep in mind some of these items are rare and are only available during a specific time of the year or via an event.

Speaking of rare items, all of the things mentioned above are divided based on their rarity. Aside from those that are Common, you can also find Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Mythic. The latter is new for Overwatch 2 and was not available before.

The Battle Pass

Another thing new to Overwatch 2 is the so-called Battle Pass. The latter is a special in-game item that will be different for each season, which means it will last until the season ends. What’s interesting about the Battle Pass is it allows you to unlock different rewards when you complete specific tiers.

Another thing that makes the Battle Pass unique is that you can complete various challenges. For example, you must secure your first win of the day, play 3 games by queueing for all roles, and so on. Each of these challenges will give you Battle Pass XP, which will help you unlock some of the other rewards. Aside from the daily ones, the Battle Pass will include weekly, seasonal, competitive, lifetime, and hero challenges.

The idea of the Battle Pass was to replace the Lootboxes that were present in Overwatch. Even though all players get it once they start playing, people can upgrade to the Premium Battle Pass and receive different perks. Those who decide to use the free version will have to reach level 55 before they get the chance to play with one of the new characters (in this case, it is Kiriko). 

Fortunately, those who get the Premium Battle Pass don’t need to worry about this because they will have access to the new hero immediately.

New Players Restrictions

Aside from everything mentioned so far, Blizzard decided to add something new in Overwatch 2 called First Time User Experience (FTUE). The latter consists of specific things that limit new players so they don’t get overwhelmed by the number of heroes and options.

FTUE will be active for everyone who created their Overwatch account in the post-launch. Those who have access to it can only use a limited number of game modes and heroes. They will also have other restrictions so they can get used to everything.

During the so-called “first phase”, players will unlock all game modes, as well as the ability to use the in-game chat. As for the second phase, which will take around 100 matches, players will unlock all of the original Overwatch heroes.  The idea here is to give new players enough time to get used to all of the new names and their abilities.

Another reason why Blizzard decided to introduce the FTUE is to keep disruptive players away from the community for as long as possible. The fact that toxic people can’t just create a new account and start playing will have a big impact on the game.

It is important to remember, Watchpoint Pack owners do not have to go through these new steps. The same applies to those who played Overwatch before.