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Overwatch 2021 Wish List: 5 Things We Want

By Adeline Susanto

Overwatch 2, new heroes, and queue time issue fix are within fans' wish list for next year's Overwatch
Overwatch 2, new heroes, and queue time issue fix are within fans' wish list for next year's Overwatch / via Twitter/PlayOverwatch

With the closing of such an eventful year and one week left on Overwatch Season 25 Competitive Play, players are focusing their attention to next year's Overwatch game. There are many updates related to the game as explained by Jeff Kaplan, Overwatch's Game Designer, in the latest Developer Update which include the introduction of new Deathmatch map, 2020 recap, and Overwatch 2 update.

Overwatch 2021 Wish List: 5 Things We Want

Below is the wish list that fans would want to see next year:

1. A Solid Solution for Long Queue Time

Priority Pass has not worked wonders yet to solve long queue time to to role imbalance
Priority Pass has not worked wonders yet to solve long queue time to to role imbalance / Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

Overwatch has been struggling to solve the long match queue wait time issue for awhile. In mid Nov. Overwatch team announced the Overwatch Priority Pass. It is a system intended to give players a reward for queueing for Flex to help fill the most needed roles with the lowest population at that time, which further helps increase the rate at which matches begin. However, a lot of players have been misusing the queue flex and Priority Passes which resulted in Overwatch issuing a manual action wave against these players. Although it is still being optimized, fans surely will want it fixed sooner than later.

2. New Tank or Support Heroes

Fans are always hyped when it comes to new hero
Fans are always hyped when it comes to new hero / Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

Echo was the latest hero unveiled by Overwatch in Apr. 14, 2020. This makes her the only new hero for this year, the 32nd Overwatch hero, and the 17th Damage heroes. Considering it has been months since her release, Overwatch players would love to see a new hero soon. Seeing that Overwatch has only eight Tank heroes and seven Support heroes, it's about time to add a name to both categories.

3. New Competitive Maps

The last competitive map announced is Havana in early 2019
The last competitive map announced is Havana in early 2019 / Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

There are 21 maps available for Quick and Competitive Play: 5 Assault maps, 6 Escort maps, 5 Hybrid maps, and 5 Control maps. The latest map released was Havana in May 7, 2019. It is the capital city of Cuba and home to the Don Rumbotico distillery and the Havana Sea Fort. It falls under Escort map category.

4. Potential Cross-Play Between Different Ecosystems

Overwatch is released in multiple platforms, fueling the possibility of a cross-play
Overwatch is released in multiple platforms, fueling the possibility of a cross-play / Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

Overwatch is released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Since it is a team game, it is always more fun to play it with friends. This brings up the question of cross-play and cross-progression possibility. Unfortunately, Blizzard said that "PC and console versions of Blizzard Games are separate and do not share progress, nor allow for play on other platforms. PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation players all play in separate ecosystems." Fans may hope that one-day cross-play will happen and possibly help resolve the long queue time issues, given more population of people that play.

5. Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 is long-awaited by fans
Overwatch 2 is long-awaited by fans / Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

Ever since its announcement on Nov. 1, 2019 at BlizzCon, fans cannot wait to get their hands on Overwatch 2. Regardless of whether it is the PvE with story-based mission mode, the new hero Sojourn, the visual redesigns of all existing heroes, or the new PvP mode, Overwatch 2 release will draw great attention from the gaming community.