- Overwatch will have to step up its game in producing new heroes, fans on Reddit have shared
- The game has been moving painfully slow keeping experienced and veteran players out of new options to try
- Overwatch 2 may have been gobbling up a lot of the resource Overwatch has on developing fresh content
Running short on fresh content, Overwatch fans have been a little miffed with the fact that there are few new playable characters.
New Content Is Desperately Needed in Overwatch
The announcement of Overwatch 2 excited the community, but after the buzz quieted down a little, fans began remembering what the issue with the original was in the first place. Overwatch was released with 21 playable heroes in 2016 and it has since only added 11 new ones.
While players weren't aware of the slow pace of new releases, as the game matured, people became aware that Blizzard may be slowing down its character design in favor of the sequel. In the meantime, Valorant, a newly-released game by Riot Games has vowed to feature six new “agents” a year.
So, where does this put Overwatch in 2021? Not in a good spot. The Overwatch sub-Reddit has been filled with discussion about whether it's worth it to keep playing the game altogether. Overwatch was struck by other calamities as well, including suspended sponsorships for the Overwatch League.
The issue is that Blizzard may have underestimated the fan base by too much. Creating a franchised model has certainly drained some of the company's resources, but then again, Blizzard must be aware of the fact that fans will not only want to see esports prosper, but also have fun playing the game by themselves.
Lockdowns Highlighted Overwatch's Shortcomings
The pandemic has definitely exacerbated the lack of new characters quite significantly, leading to a situation where people started leaving. Some forum users evoked Paladins as a worthwhile alternative but the Overwatch community was dubious of the proposal.
Yes, Paladins has really upped their game when it comes to character production, but the game is still plagued by some issues that require a more expert hand, the type that Blizzard actually has and can allocate to fixing problems.
A mass exodus is definitely not expected any time soon, but Blizzard's World of Warcraft sunk to under 2 million active subscribers, one of the lowest numbers in the game's history, so the company must not underplay the danger of loyal fans getting fed up with the lack of new content to enjoy in Overwatch.
