No.
The lack of updates to the support role is due to devs claiming shortly before the beta release that "supports are too strong and need nerfs because nobody dies". They genuinely thought that supports are too OP. They not only nerfed Mercy and Moira healing initially, but even added Paladins’ healing reduction (cauterize) in combat during closed alpha tests.
They are detached from reality. Don’t expect any improvements from them.
The problem with the “git gud” argument is that the dps players saying it are lowkey scared that supports will get buffed to an extent where they are no longer free and it will hurt their competence needs to get rocked by a support player. It already happens with Moira. So they are shook.
When it comes down to it, supports appear to need three things to function in OW2:
Currently, only Brigitte, Lucio, and Moira have all these capabilities. Which is why they are seeing significant use in the beta. They probably need a few number tweaks at best.
Baptiste should work as he has all three as well, but he appears to be struggling. It may be that too much of his kit is built around supporting a bunker or deathball style of play. His kit will probably need rework to adjust it for more spread out play.
Ana and Zenyatta have the same issue: no mobility/survivability tools. They might require some reworks to fit that into their kits. Ana does have sleep dart, but that doesn’t appear to be sufficient in OW2.
Mercy needs some more duel potential outside of Valkyrie. Maybe a way to shoot while still connected to someone? Not sure, but some rework might help her versatility.
And that’s my thoughts. YMMV
That childish argument is going to age like milk if Blizzard doesn’t do anything. I’d fully expect the DPS queues to skyrocket because of how much worse the problem would get once the open beta or release phases hit. I guess they want to die on the hill of insulting players for being unskilled while also playing the role that was made significantly easier across the board.
Hmm… I dunno about that. I’d expect Ana’s sleep to be touched up and honestly, that’s about it. If they were gonna drastically change supports like tanks (few of which are yet to see any big changes as well) they would’ve said something. Things rarely change from beta to live version, other than some number changes maybe. Then there’s all the hints that whole OW2 is in a rush to release this year, so you’re better off expecting a day one patch to change supports.
I’ve traditionally been a support player, and I’m not totally opposed to trying to “git gud” and adapt to OW2, at least to an extent. It’s fair that such a major update would require some changes in my gameplay. I haven’t had a chance to try the beta yet, but I generally like the idea of Overwatch being more based around individual skill. It sounds rewarding to have more potential to carry and be less dependent on your team. However, it does still seem like the “git gud” argument has some major problems.
First, it doesn’t really seem like supports have been changed to facilitate this new style of play. If supports are supposed to be more aggressive, rely on less peels, take on more duels with DPS, and get picks, all while continuing to heal/support the team, but haven’t been given additional tools to do those things, then isn’t OW2 a net negative for supports? Aren’t they just being asked to do more? Just because support players could buckle down and work on that doesn’t mean they will necessarily be pumped to do so. They want something cool to look forward to in OW2, just like DPS and Tank players. Not just more responsibilities.
Secondly, “git gud” assumes that supports like this new style and are just trying to figure out how to excel in it. However, I think its more likely that many support players don’t like it and aren’t having fun. Instead of trying to adapt, wouldn’t they be more likely to just not play support? How many people are really going to try to “git gud” at something they aren’t enjoying? If support players aren’t having fun and deciding not to queue, that’s not a support player problem. That’s an Overwatch problem and something for the developers to work on. Lecturing support players won’t fix that.
A normal, responsible development team that appreciates its audience would communicate regarding this issue.
looks at Blizzard’s track record
As a FORMER Guild leader in WoW. Supporting roles really NEED to be lower skill ceilings just because nobody wants to play the roles. And the ones that do. Are generally MISERABLE from the issues that the game doesn’t address.
I consider the role of Healer as a janitorial job. It is necessary to keep the building clean. But whom wants to scrub toilets, take out the waste, and fix broken plumbing?
Same goes for supports. We either give them essentials or quit complainining that nobody wants to play supporting roles.
I hear the age-old argument of selfish responses that people say Supports need to get better. But I think the honest realty is. They do just fine.
It does not matter if this is Overwatch or WoW. It is the same monster just with a different shirt on.
Then you should que support.
I do for flex passes
I think most supports are currently fine to straight up strong, but I encourage you to discuss in the thread I made in feedback if you’re one of those supports struggling/disappointed by the new support playstyle.
Tell me how this passive helps against tracer/genji
Supports just need to be able to duel DPS and we should be good
This. Some supports need better 1v1 potential. Some DPS need their 1v1 potential nerfed.
Yes and no.
Because now positioning is more important.
Learn the maps and covers, coordinate with distant teammates, all players need to keep more in mind of Line of sight for healing.
Teamplay need more skill now than simple regroup near/behind the shield/shields.
So yes there is the need of “git gud” in general for supports with the 5vs5.
BUT is evident some supports arent in line with 5vs5 gameply.
Sure is possible in some way to play around it, but they need patches.
This is the first beta, so with the other Blizzard will do something.
It’s not that they got nerfs, it’s that it didn’t get the fundamental redesign the class sorely needs in order to function in 5v5, in one case even removing the one thing a hero (brig) had to deal with the new problems that arise from it.
It still basically feels like more of the same for support; no real personal player agency…unless you’re Ana, in which case, because there’s one less tank to deal with the pressure your CD’s apply to the enemy team, you get to be a monster for pretty little effort/skill.
Supports, on average need to have their healing lowered and their utility increased. Personal survivability isn’t utility. Mercy needs some love, but idk what they could do without making her too easy to get a ton of value out of, tbh. Lucio is ok because he can survive and reddit around, but he’s not that good because DPS make his team speed boost redundant. And there basically isn’t any other utility in the role outside of ultimates and the cannon fodder hero, which is interesting given that the tooltips in OW2 still claim that supports provide utility for their teams…
There is a class problem as it seems devs put much thought into setting up tanks for 5v5 and let the rest for later.
Supports ain’t any kind of losers just the gameplay has been dumbed down too much. Less heroes means way less complexity, which leads to effortless decision-making.
Also hero swaps have way more effect than playing good/bad since there are no “well-rounded” or meta comps to fit in.
Not really the gameplay of ow1 was dumbed down.
The fake teamplay of hide behind no skill shield, stuns to make kills more easy.
All this lowered alot the need of skills like game awareness, maps and covers learning , true coordinating with the team and positioning.
Now specially supports the one more stayed behind shield in general need to learn more skills they barely used in ow1.
Some of them are simple not adapt to 5vs5, but now Overwatch 2 have a more skill based gameplay and teamplay need to be achieved with true cooperation with the team instead no skill hide behind shield.
And no true 1 less heroes mean less complexity, one less tank/shield mean more skill needed for one less no skill protection.
More damage incoming so more need of reflexes and game awareness, wrong positioning is punished alot more.
Ow1 really ruined the idea of what are skills…
I have only queue support, and what I have to say is the same, we need more natural cover. the only natural cover OW2 purely focus on is vertical cover base on height advantage looking down and crouching for cover.
When the robot is on a horizontal plain with long sighlines towards spawn, it feels like there there’s no cover at all unless you camp right beside spawn for cover, unless you’re the enemy hiding around the corner at the stairs, or use the robot if you’re in control of it.
Not really the fact is players need to learn to play more vertically or use covers like cars, “posters” and so on.
Instead simple hiding behind a no skill shield, now they must learn where are the covers permit you to have a sight of the objective and tank to heal it or help damage.
Even only one player near the robot is enough to push if the other players are spreaded in the right covers.
Instead there are too much players stil try to play on ground, hiding behind the tank even if there isn’t a stable shield or try to hide behind the robot, getting flanked by more skilled enemies who using the maps at their advantage.
That’s all fictional. I mean in ow1 u have shield play but u also have hogballs, dive etc. Decent support players never relaxed behind the shields. People will also master positioning on the new maps, it’s just a matter of time.
When you remove 2 players from the lobby (its not 1) you have fewer synergies and fewer data to process while playing the game. From awareness down to ult tracking. Its rather obvious that the game becomes way easier.
And the mechanical skill, you can always trade it for a hero swap. Its suicide to stay to a stationary support when 2-3 ppl dive you, you just swap and without any real effort you cancel their strat
