One of Overwatch 2’s latest additions has made my experience with the game worse, but I’m still happy that Blizzard took a shot at the concept.
Overwatch 2’s 18th season brought the official debut of the new Support hero Wuyang, but this headliner is just one of many big additions to the hero shooter that came via its latest update. Alongside the return of Summer Games and a loot box-heavy event based on NBA player (and Top 500 Overwatch 2 player) Luka Doncic, hero progression 2.0 sees players rewarded consistently for spending time with their favorite heroes. A leaver forgiveness system, fresh perks, and a Roadhog rework were also included, but it’s Overwatch 2’s Stadium drafts that quickly drew the most attention.
Immediately upon the introduction of Stadium’s Draft mode, fans noticed a huge problem: it wasn’t possible to mirror heroes. This meant that players could instantly lose out on ways to counter certain builds and strategies, as the other team could block them from picking that character entirely. Fortunately, there was a massive amount of push back because of this strange decision, leading Blizzard to remove the mirror restriction. Draft mode is still in place, though, and it’s been a mixed bag for Overwatch 2. While some players appreciate the addition, others, like myself, find Stadium less enjoyable because of it.
Initially, I thought I wanted something like Drafts in Overwatch 2’s Stadium mode. As a Tank main, I found it annoying to pick Reinhardt and be stuck in a tough match-up because the other team had chosen a Tank that counters him, and I wrongly felt that having the option to see what other players are picking would make things more fair since I could easily adjust. In reality, Overwatch 2’s Drafts make it far too easy for everyone to counter, and they have some significant issues beyond that.
