When Overwatch 2 unveiled its big shakeup plans for its next couple of seasons, there was a pervasive sense that these moves were a direct response to the competition the shooter was now facing. That subtext is now directly quoted text, as game director Aaron Keller has discussed the importance of having a big competitor in an interview with GamesRadar.
“We’re obviously in a new competitive landscape that I think, for Overwatch, we’ve never really been in before. […] [W]e think it’s a forcing function to our team – this is no longer about playing it safe. And I really think that seasons 15 and 16 are us not playing it safe. But really it’s a forcing function to execute – and for a team of super passionate craftspeople, that’s like music to their ears.”
Keller also talks about the general malaise surrounding OW2, admitting that calling it a sequel has baggage, particularly in regards to its original reveals versus what it is now. “I think eventually there has to be a reckoning with something like that, and we really do have to face it head on. Right now, for seasons 15 and 16, it’s not the moment for us,” he says.
He also admits at an early point in the interview that OW2 was too complacent in its content updates:
“[W]hen we look at our game, we feel like it’s either missing something or it hasn’t evolved as much as it should have. I look at what happens in a game of Overwatch, and a lot of times, when you get enough hours in the game, it almost feels like you can be going through the motions sometimes. What we want to be able to do is to inject a bit of freshness into the game, but not just for variety’s sake. We want to increase the depth of play.”
The interview also provides Keller’s thoughts on how perks and Stadium Mode can mess with the shooter’s formula, the thought process behind bringing back lockboxes, and why it’s introducing hero ban options. It’s an overall pretty honest and insightful interview from a lead dev that has arguably seemed to operate in his own universe before now.
