Just some musings I’ve got. I’d like to be better at widow. Or anybody really. A lot of the time I don’t have time to play OW. Then when I finally do have time, I don’t want to.
I don’t play as much as I used to, which is a shame because I want to be good at this game. All the heroes, not just widow, take so much time to get used to. I’m nowhere near where I want to be, skill-wise. And when I do have a good game, I feel so inconsistent. It’s 1 of my biggest complaints about widow. It’s not even widow, it’s me.
I don’t like complaining about the matchmaker. I’m fairly certain it is what it is at this point. That said, I have no idea who will be in my next game so I don’t know from match to match whether I’m actually making progress or just getting stomped. Frankly, it feels like the latter most of the time.
It’s just that so often OW feels like a second job instead of the fun video game it’s supposed to be. And then there are those rare moments where you can actually start to have fun… maybe. Fingers crossed.
If this comes across more negative than I intended, I apologize. It’s just that I’ve always felt OW is a game more fun when I’m playing well. Being PvP, it has no story. All it has is its gameplay. I suppose that means I take the game too seriously. But I almost HAVE TO play well to have any fun at all.
Sometimes I don’t want to try to find the fun in OW2. Sometimes I play another game instead, like Fallout 4 or Dark Souls. It shouldn’t be this hard to enjoy a game I enjoy playing. I do still enjoy playing OW2 and when it’s fun, it’s REALLY fun. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. It can also be the anti-fun.
Again, I don’t mean to be negative. I just have to speak my mind sometimes.
I feel that perhaps you should consider not playing Overwatch. I am genuinely not trying to be mean. It’s just that “Overwatch feels like a second job” is such a red flag. Find a game that you actually have fun with. Stop wasting your time on this one.
You are one of the good ones, WickedFrisbe. Do not let Overwatch consume you with toxicity. You deserve better…
Surely a majority of players feeling the exact same way at the exact same time isn’t a sign of anything wrong with the game. They must all be feeling burnout simultaneously.
This is not a you issue. This is most definitely a change in the direction of the games vision. Whether that be from the devs or the shareholders or the illuminati, I don’t know, but what I do know is that it’s profit driven.
I hate that this preemptive clarification has become mandatory in order to prevent nitpicking Neanderthals from bombarding your post with stupid comments like “If you don’t like don’t play hurr durr.”
Speak your mind and let the Assuming Andys deal with their delusional projections on their own.
To be perfectly honest, it wouldn’t surprise me. Burnout is a pretty ambiguous and subjective concept. The reality is that the more we do of something, the less exciting it will be. You can only have your first love once and all of that jazz. That’s not to say that there are no problems with Overwatch or that the design philosophy has not changed substantially. Overwatch Dos, for all intents and purposes, is an entirely separate game at this point. And the more it has changed, the more enthusiasm has decayed. That’s also relatively natural as it is attracting a new type of player.
I wouldn’t write off anyone’s concerns as burnout, per se. But it’s not surprising that eight years deep that people are feeling less enjoyment. Especially given their philosophy has been to take rather than give which runs contrary to the early days when we were the happiest with Overwatch.
The reality is that the only way to come out on top in this scenario is to make it so you come out on top. You have to be the one to change and manipulate the circumstances in your favor. It’s not easy, but if I could do it, anyone can. I am not the poster child for mental health in the slightest, but I still managed.
I get where you’re coming from. The game is demanding, and it’s tough when you want to improve but don’t have the time to commit. It’s easy to lose motivation when you’re not playing at the level you want.
One thing to remember is that improvement in Overwatch, doesn’t come just from playing more matches. It’s about being intentional with your time and focusing on how you play, not just how much you play. I play on average 2-3 hours a day at night and I have ranked up 3 ranks (Gold to Diamond) in a few weeks. Here are a few tips that might help you:
Review your games: Take time to watch your replays, especially matches where you know you could’ve done better and even won. Look for patterns in your gameplay and identify moments where you could’ve made different decisions.
Seek feedback: Consider submitting a VOD for review by more experienced players. Outside perspectives can highlight areas you might not notice yourself.
Mindset shift: Focus on improving one aspect of your gameplay each session. It’s easy to get frustrated when things don’t go well, but try to treat each loss as a learning opportunity. Don’t let bad teammates or a rough match get in your head. Stay focused on your growth.
Adapt your play: If something isn’t working, mix it up. For example, as Widowmaker, if you’re getting dove or can’t secure picks from a certain angle, switch it up and work with your team. Play unpredictable, but smart.
Risk vs. reward: Identify key moments to take calculated risks, but don’t fall into the trap of always trying for flashy plays. Play for consistency over heroics. it’s more sustainable and leads to real improvement.
That’s the issue though. I don’t believe it’s burnout. There are still moments and things that Overwatch manages to capture, for however breif it may be, that still excite me and make me want to play the game. It’s like an unscratched itch knowing I haven’t completed the ambiguous/undefined things I wanted to do in Overwatch yet.
If it were burnout, I would be able to recognize it from previous experiences I’ve had with games I’ve stopped playing. Rainbow Six Siege, for instance, left me in an apathetic state where I no longer felt an urge to play the game, nor care for it’s development. It’s not the same as what I and (probably) many others feel about Overwatch.
8 years is a long time, but I still haven’t done everything I wanted to do with Overwatch.
