Self-Healing, Party Frames, And More Could Be Coming To Overwatch 2...But There's Already Backlash

When everything is working as it should, Overwatch 2 matches feel like no other game. That's the view of Game Director Aaron Keller. In the latest "Director's Take" post, Keller talks about how great the game feels when everyone works as a team...and how bad it can sometimes feel when heroes run out to do their own thing in the competitive shooter.

On the surface, the post talks a great deal about Overwatch maybe not looking the same a few years from now. Of course the title will add maps and heroes over time, but Keller talks about more than just the expected "additions."

Instead, Keller examines how party frames (a feature in PvE events), faster respawns, scoreboard improvements, spawn camping deterrents, and more could make matches feel better...even when the teamwork may be less than stellar.

One possible feature discussed, after talking about recent changes and the recent "Quicker Play" event, is causing quite a bit of backlash, though. In the post, Keller says, "In Season 9, both Tank and Damage heroes will get a modified, tuned-down version of the Support self-healing passive. This should give non-Support players more options in terms of sustaining themselves."

Healing yourself would be nice, I'm sure, but the statement has kicked off waves in the game's community with players wondering if this would actually negatively impact the desire for teamwork and how it could marginalize support characters.

The questions online pushed Keller to make some clarifying comments on X (formerly Twitter) and admit that talking about self-healing by itself in the post was probably a mistake. The healing feature comes as part of a group of Season 9 changes that need to be understood in the same discussion. These in-depth discussion will be coming later.

Clarifying a few things with the self-heal. It's one part of a much larger set of changes coming to the game in S9. Internally we're talking about, and targeting some of these changes at damage spikiness in game, the role of DPS in securing kills, and the strength of healing. https://t.co/Ay68KOZAFD

— Aaron Keller (@aaronkellerOW) January 13, 2024

Are these potential changes welcome in your book? Let us know below!