Overwatch 2 Beginner’s Guide

It’s been a few months since Blizzard proclaimed that Overwatch is dead. Now that we have Overwatch 2—which is now entirely free-to-play—the competitive FPS is more likely to pull newcomers into the game. And understandably so, considering that you don’t need to pay a single dime to try it out. If you’re one of those newcomers, you’ll find yourself confused about what’s happening. Luckily, I’ve got you covered with this Overwatch 2 beginner’s guide. Whether you’re an absolute greenhorn or haven’t touched the game in years, I’ve got some tips and tricks that should help you get up to speed.

Overwatch 2 is Basically the First Game With A Twist

First, let’s discuss the differences between the original Overwatch and Overwatch 2. Most of the OW community claims that the title isn’t all that new, and for the most part, that statement is true. You’ll notice right off the bat that the game now has a free-to-play as opposed to its pay-to-play model. Overwatch used to contain loot boxes that consisted of emotes, voice lines, skins, and other cosmetic items. It used to be a hot topic among gamers, as many thought it bordered between gambling and gaming.

In Overwatch 2’s free-to-play model, we now have a season-based battle pass. I know—it’s nothing new, especially if you have experience playing other live service games before, but it’s how Blizzard will be able to profit from the online FPS. This is the same method used in games such as Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Valorant, to name a few. The battle pass costs about $10 (depending on where you live), and you can level it up to unlock skins and heroes.

Yes, you heard that right—heroes. If you purchase the paid version of the battle pass, you can instantly unlock the latest champion for the season. But say you don’t want to spend your hard-earned money. In that case, you’ll have to grind to reach a certain level of the battle pass that’ll unlock the hero. Grinding isn’t fun unless you plan to play Overwatch 2 until the wee hours of the night, but it has to be done if you want to get the hero for free. Otherwise, when the season is over, you’ll have no choice but to pay for the hero if you want to access them in your future matches.

Training is Key

“Practice makes perfect” may be an overused term, but it rings true if you want to “get good” in Overwatch 2. As such, it’s best not to overlook the Training section, an extensive area where you can test a hero’s abilities and learn how to play all of them. There are even enemy and ally bots you can kill or shield—your choice. But if you have absolutely zero experience playing Overwatch, it’s best to check out the tutorials since they cover the basics.

Once you’ve learned the fundamentals, you can fight against bot heroes with other players or head over the practice range. Practicing with bots is preferred since its offers a more immersive experience than shooting at static enemies.

Don’t Be Afraid to Change Heroes

In Overwatch 2, you’re not restricted to certain characters (or classes) once a match starts. You can change your heroes anytime in the respawn area throughout the game. And if you’re worried about possibly getting rushed by an opposing player, don’t worry—a barrier protects the area. Note that if you’ve already picked a role during the queue, you can only change heroes for the specific role. For example, if you’ve landed the Support role, your choices for heroes are Kiriko, Lucio, Moira, Ana, Brigitte, Mercy, Zenyatta, and Baptiste.

Play to Win, Not to Kill

Overwatch 2 isn’t a game where if you get the most kills, you’ll be crowned the winner. It’s a team-based game, and kills aren’t the ultimate goal, whether you like it or not. Getting kills is helpful to take opponents off the board momentarily, but doing the actual objectives and letting your team is the key to winning.

There are four main match types: Push, Control, Escort, and Hybrid. Push lets you and the opposing team fight to control a robot that’ll “push” through the map. Whoever pushes the robot the farthest or reaches the end goal first wins the match. Meanwhile, Control is all about taking over an objective point where you try your best to hold your line against the enemy team. Then there’s Escort, a match about escorting a payload and moving it along its destination; one team has to stick the payload, while the other team has to prevent them from reaching its final stop. Finally, Hybrid is a mix of Escort and Control. The key is to push the other team’s barricade as far as possible before the timer reaches zero.

Get That Play of the Game

That’s about it for our beginner’s guide to Overwatch 2! Were you able to pick some tidbits that’ll help you on your grind? Since OW 2 is a much simpler game compared to its predecessor, you should be able to learn the ropes quickly. Now get that Play of the Game!