Blizzard set out to revamp Overwatch and bring the game back to its former glory, and it appears to be working. Legions of players have returned and they’re having a ton of fun with the game again, but that doesn’t mean there’s no work to be done. As a matter of fact there’s more work than ever, and the Overwatch team plans to tackle projects both big and small going forward.
In a new blog from Alec Dawson, Overwatch associate game director, we learn that Season 2 (launching April 14th) will introduce some Perks into Heroes’ base kits to help them keep up with the newer Overwatch (and Talon) recruits. The team says it was important to that this initial pass of Perk integration didn’t go too wide, as they wanted to take what we felt were the best options for Heroes who needed a tune-up. To do that, the devs had a set of goals we kept in mind. The picks didn’t need to hit every requirement, but fulfilling most of the parameters brought Perks into consideration.
Four major points were considered for the new Perks, and they are as follows:
Does this Perk help an established ability become more functional without adding complication?
Does it heighten or emphasize the Hero Fantasy?
Does it add utility without too much bloat?
Can it give more vectors for the Hero’s balance?
With those points in mind, Blizzard has given both Mercy and Reaper a helping hand, adding some Perks and tweaks to make them more viable choices in the current-day roster. You can read more about what’s being adjusted in the official Overwatch blog.