Dear Overwatch Fans, Please Don’t Become Valorant

Since its debut way back in October 2022, Overwatch 2 has seen numerous changes, but not all of them have resonated with the community. With the debate surrounding the title’s lengthy development time, shift from 6v6, and some heroes being busted, the game’s future is still on shaky ground.

Despite that, Overwatch 2 is still a popular game that attracts all kinds of players, with each occupying the same shared virtual space in which they all attempt to enjoy the team-based shooter. The same accessibility, however, is now placing toxic players, troubling the player base.

If Blizzard and the community don’t take the proper steps, the game could suffer the same fate as Valorant.

Overwatch 2 Community Must Stand Against Toxicity

As anyone who’s played a couple of matches will tell you, Overwatch 2 and toxicity go hand-in-hand. Get ready for all the hate messages. Heck, as soon as you see that defeat screen, you’re better off leaving the game immediately, just so you don’t see the argument in the chat.

In recent months, players have reported an uptick in hostile and abusive messages. With the small change between the original game and the sequel, gamers often blame this increase in toxicity on the fact that the game has gone free to play.

While hardly unique to Overwatch 2, the issue of player toxicity manifesting in insults aimed at either team and an individual can wreak an otherwise enjoyable round and at least make someone delete the game completely, as fans of many games such as League of Legends and CS2can attest.

Blizzard has tried its best and implemented a wide range of measures to combat toxicity in the game, including improved penalty systems and reporting. The studio even introduced a voice chat transcription to identify toxic behavior and take action.

However, none of that has worked out, and things have gotten even worse. It’s high time for the community to stand up against the issue and take things into their own hands. Gamers must use Blizzard’s reporting systems to flag any harmful behavior they come across and promote positive interactions through endorsement features.

Gamers need to encourage teammates and learn how not to abandon the match when they start losing. Constructive communication by players can go a long way to deal with such issues.

If the community doesn’t take a stand against toxicity, the Overwatch 2 might become as horrendous as Valorant. Despite the fact that it’s the face of the shooter genre right now, Valorant is considered to be the most toxic game out. Seriously, you can’t go five minutes without players arguing or abandoning games.

Blizzard has Failed to Deliver with Overwatch 2

If you’re unaware, the biggest reason for Blizzard to push for a sequel to the original Overwatch was PvE campaigns. Gamers highly anticipated the mode as it was supposed to be a crucial part of the experience. Before release, the studio announced that the title would be without the PvE mode.

Several months later, Blizzard officially canceled the mode. This threw into the question of why did we ever get a sequel in the first place. The game was review-bombed to death on Steam, and gamers abandoned the game as they still felt the studio misled them.

Even though PvE might seem like a lost cause for the game, the studio must compensate players with some sort of story missions frequently in the game. Currently, the only way to experience such things is through a workshop, and that doesn’t sit right.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that with the upcoming updates, the developers will reconsider the possibility of bringing PvE content to the game. Otherwise, the negative sentiment about this controversial sequel might just never vanish away.

With that said, how can your toxicity be resolved in Overwatch 2? Let us know in the comments below.