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While no hero will ever come close to my hours spent in D.Va, I’ve taken a bit of a shine to support characters since the launch of Overwatch 2. While part of that is born out of necessity—queue flex currently saddles you with support 95% of the time—part it also comes from my love for orb-cafing omni Zenyatta. Sure he’s horribly squishy for a piece of metal, but he’s a powerful powerful healer and damage dealer in the right hands. So it’s such a bummer that this game makes playing support so damn crappy.
With the removal of a tank and a new smaller team, it changed the way support should think. The thing is, I actually like what 5v5 has done for support. Position is more essential now. With no off-tank for me to hide behind, I have to actually use my brain and a drop of spatial awareness. The removal of Overwatch’s old dual shield and hunker-down method makes the role feel more efficient and engaging, constantly dashing around the map to heal flankers before returning to the safety of the tank. It feels like the most important role in the game right now, but that’s also its undoing.
I don’t claim to be the best Overwatch player—my skill set lies firmly with JRPGs and MMOs—but Overwatch 2 breeds an ‘every player for themselves’ feeling that makes being a support main—especially a Zenyatta main—so bloody frustrating. On several occasions I went back to the point, doing my best to keep my wits about me before Sombra appeared out of nowhere behind me, gunning me down and disappearing into the night. Meanwhile, tanks are clueless and damaged heroes are overextended, wondering why they aren’t being healed. I’ve had tanks literally walk or fly past me as I desperately try to keep up while fighting flankers, frantically throwing my orbs because my panicked aim makes them rattle everywhere.
anyone_else_not_enjoying_support_anymore from r/Overwatch
The issue doesn’t feel as dire with supports like Kiriko or Moira, who can quickly move away from incoming trouble. But it’s still been a problem since the first closed beta, especially back when Zenyatta didn’t have his stun kick to help him. I’m not the only one who feels this way either. Check out the Overwatch subreddit and you’ll see dozens of other players who share the same sentiment as me: it’s just not very fun right now. I do think some of that has to do with general fatigue with the role. When I queue for all roles and get support for 10 games in a row, my motivation and attention will decrease. But it’s also clear that—especially in low-end casual games—support heroes struggle to keep up in a game that favors diving and a bit of selfishness.
Overwatch 2 is still in its infancy, and both new and old players have to adjust to a smaller team, crazier shooting and more deaths. I’m sure it will level off a bit as everyone gets used to it and those who don’t care anymore move on to other games. It’s a largely thankless role, one that goes unnoticed when performed well and is the first to take the blame when things go wrong. I’ll still play and enjoy Zenyatta and other support heroes a bit, but until the flankers dominate and healers get better chances to stick close to tanks and deal damage, it won’t be as much fun as it used to be.
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