Overwatch has now been fully rebranded, and Overwatch 2 is no more, and Blizzard is essentially resetting the clock on the game's life cycle.
Season 1 is now here, and Blizzard has revamped a ton in and around the game, including the UI and menus.
Here's all of the known changes.
Overwatch Season 1: All New UI Changes, Menus and More
Overwatch is hitting the refresh button on their game once again, as they're removing the '2' and going back to their roots in ways.
The menus however, are getting their most drastic changes yet as they've noted the following visual upgrades are coming:
UI/UX REFRESH
A large UI/UX Refresh is coming in Season 1! After 10 years, the menus felt a bit dated, and our hope is that this helps restore some personality and hero-centric vibes while in-game.
This update includes the lobby, play cards, navigation, hero gallery, and social panel. A Notification Hub will consolidate important updates. Season 1 will feature a new 3D lobby with the selected hero displayed, and Season 4 will expand this to include all group members.
We hope you all love the new look and ease of navigation (biggest challenge is getting used to the PLAY button at the top of the screen). And be sure to share your thoughts and feedback as we’re planning even more updates and improvements in the future.
SYSTEMS UPDATES
Alongside gameplay and navigation, new features have always been some of the most impactful updates we’ve made to Overwatch. This year, we want to dial in the sense of joy and positivity that is at the center of the Overwatch Universe.
When Season 1 launches, we’re unveiling a Praise feature, allowing players to use Hero VO lines to provide positive feedback. The team has actually been recording these lines for all of our Heroes for over 10 years, but we’ve never found a way to utilize them that has felt quite right to us. And we're really excited about what this subtle addition can mean for gameplay interactions.
Another new feature is additional sound/music control settings while in lobby! Now when you're playing Overwatch on your second monitor, you will be able to listen in on work meetings without having to turn your OW audio down. Not that anyone on our team has ever done that.
Later this year, we are reviving an often-requested feature: Post‑Match Accolades. Unlike the former cards, this new system will use full 3D Hero models. New types of recognition will highlight key moments, including multi‑endorsements and Heroic Endorsements.
And in Season 2, we are coming to the Nintendo Switch™ 2!
Over the rest of the year, expect upgrades to map voting, hero bans, Drives, and more!
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In the meantime, be sure to check out our wide array of phenomenal gaming headsets and controllers!
