Overwatch 2’sPvP mode has finally launched after an extensive development. Naturally, fans of the sequel may be observing quite a fewdifferences in this iteration ofOverwatch, the most notable being the shift from six-person teams to just five. Of course, most of these changes are obvious, like how the game is free to play now, but there are a few less noticeable ones lurking about.
For example, while this is not an entirely game-changing decision,Overwatch 2has seen alterations to the endorsement system, leaving some players less than thrilled. Of course there are players who don’t use the endorsement system at all, but for others, it’s a game element that they use to judge how well they’re doing in their matches, either mechanically or communication-wise with their teammates.
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Overwatch 2 Endorsements Need to Reach Farther
The old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” may apply to some new features Blizzard has opted to implement into the game. For example, the screen displayed between rounds of a match that require a single point capture,like the Ilios maps, has been altered slightly though no new information is being showcased.
TheOverwatch 2endorsement systemworks relatively the same as it used to, and is only available after a match has been completed, though the changes made don’t feel better or necessary to everyone. In the past, players would be able to honor a few teammates or an enemy player, according to three categories: Shot Caller, Good Teammate, and Sportsmanship. Earning endorsements, or lack thereof would rank players from a scale of one to five, with one being the lowest endorsement level and 5 being the highest.
The endorsement system was the developer’s original way of combatingnegativity inOverwatch’s communityand praising those that were maintaining a positive environment for other players. However, becauseOverwatch 2has seen major changes to the endorsement system, players are only able to generally endorse their own teammates with no particular category in mind. People can also only endorse two of their own teammates now and cannot endorse the same player within the span of the same 12 hours.
Additionally, the game doesn’t let users endorse opponents, which feels insulting to some on top of the fact that there are no longer anyend-of-match cards to display the top-performingOverwatchheroes. While the end cards fromOverwatchprime didn’t necessarily do anything, it did showcase more than the statistics board users see in the game now. For example, while most of what the board displays are important, end cards could display environmental kills, how many gold medals a player earned, turret kills, objective time, and so on.
Since players are unable up-vote anyone on the card screen,Overwatchshould bring back the ability to endorse enemy players, rather than just their own team. For various players, endorsing enemy tanks, damage characters, or support heroes was a way of acknowledging the other person’s skill or persistence. Since the game is now rewarding those who earn endorsements from a match withOverwatch 2Battle Pass XP, Blizzard should continue to allow players to continue spreading positivity to enemy players.
Unfortunately, the amount of XP that one earns based on their endorsement level appears to be quite random. The incentivization to be a good teammate and respectful to the other team in turn for quicker Battle Pass progression isn’t a bad idea, except for the fact that Blizzard doesn’t appear to be rewarding much of anything for hitting level five. In the past, players would earn a loot box every time they level up, but now it seemsOverwatch 2endorsements only help users progress through one Battle Pass level. A high endorsement level is something to be proud of and can help players build positive connections; those connections ought to apply to the enemy too.
Overwatch 2is available now in early access for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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