Currently, the interact key is used for two things: using a teleporter and blowing up Sombra’s beacon. There’s certainly potential to add more functions to it, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. I also don’t think the interact key in general is a good idea, at least not for a large chunk of players.
Keyboards have a lot of buttons, resulting in a lot of freedom to configure a control scheme. Controllers lack this luxury. The controller I personally use (Xbox One) only has 16 usable buttons, all of which have been filled since the day this game came out. Further, all of these buttons have consistent purpose such that they could have an effect at any moment. The interact key does not have this “effective at any moment” attribute; it’s only useful in 2 contexts. But, these contexts are vital to both play as, and play with, certain characters; I simply would not be able to play to an allied Symmetra’s strengths without a button mapped to interact. However, to do that would require junking another key which is more generally useful, as well as two years’ worth of muscle memory. This is a problem without a good solution, as both options result in an inability to play the game to the fullest.
Particularly frustrating here is that neither of the functions the interact key has necessitates use of a separate button. Using a teleporter could just as easily be paired to the reload button, like how you interact with the telescope on Horizon. Sombra’s beacon detonation could be handled by holding down the ability key; tap to use or hold to detonate, similar to how Doomfist can tap his punch button to use a low-power short-range punch or charge to to Doom someone straight into a wall. While I can’t speak for potential future uses of the interact key, neither of its current uses strike me as things which require a brand new button.
Alternatively, allowing double-binding could fix this problem. Binding interact to the same button as reload or crouch would be an unobtrusive way of fixing this problem. That said, double-binding would need limits; I can already hear the screaming of the space-time continuum at the idea of Recalling and Blinking at the same time. But using a teleporter whilst reloading, or blowing up a beacon while crouched? Those seem perfectly fine.
I’d just hate to see controller players needing to make a choice on how to play their game. Digging through the forums a bit, this is something Blizzard also considered, but nothing ended up coming from it. (on a personal note, this suggested solution is not one I would like since L3 is an ability key on half my heroes, but at least the thought was there.)
I could say the same thing of Hammond and his Piledriver being the first major thing to need the crouch key, but to be fair the crouch key at least does something on all characters but D.Va and Bastion(?) without needing a special context.
As someone who has had this game since day one, and who got the collector’s edition, I’d really like to see a solution. Truthfully, I’ve been avoiding Overwatch since the Symmetra rework went live simply because I don’t want to face the choice of functionality or playing nice with certain characters. I can’t speak for the console audience since I am not a part of it, but I can’t imagine that this is a popular change with them either. I know I’m one guy among millions and if this is for the game’s greater good then so be it; but I ask that a potential solution at least be considered, be it one I’ve given or something else entirely. This was one of my favorite games; I don’t want to lose it to something that doesn’t even need to be an issue.
