Overwatch 2’s new ping system gives players more ways to communicate

Within the wake of the Overwatch 2 beta date announcement and an apologetic video from sport director Aaron Keller promising the staff would give extra constant updates on progress, the Overwatch 2 information floodgates have formally opened. On this newest replace, we’re provided a glimpse of Overwatch 2’s overhauled ping system.

“We wished to create a system that may improve voice communication in addition to present alternative routes to share data together with your staff,” methods designer Gavin Winter says within the weblog put up.

New options embrace character-specific callouts during which, when a participant makes a ping, their teammates hear that notification in that participant’s hero’s voice. The weblog provides an instance: “in the event you’re enjoying Tracer and ping an enemy Reaper, your teammates will hear Tracer name out that Reaper’s location.” The weblog goes into additional element about how pings will present the last-known location for shifting enemies, giving gamers extra data on tips on how to transfer by means of maps with out fear of getting ambushed. There’s additionally a brand new function that’ll ping a teammate’s location on the mini-map and permit gamers to answer pings primarily based on decisions made in a brand new communication wheel. Now, every time a staff’s Genji begins spamming “I would like therapeutic,” the sport will truly present pleasant healers that Genji’s location on the mini-map to allow them to heal and thus shut him the hell up.

An improved ping system has been a long-time ask from Overwatch gamers. Not solely does it enhance a staff’s potential to speak, nevertheless it’s additionally an vital accessibility software for gamers who can’t (or received’t) take part in voice chat. The builders did word that the brand new ping system is a piece in progress and topic to vary as the sport’s closed beta nears.