One of the first things people spot when they meet me is my Overwatch tattoo – given it’s a neon version of Sombra’s candy skull-inspired hack symbol on a black background, it’s pretty hard to miss. I fell in love with Overwatch back in the day because of how each character’s interwoven narratives masterfully came together to create a branching, overarching story. In Overwatch, the characters have souls; souls that I don’t think any other hero shooter has managed to replicate. While Overwatch 2 grapples with its identity and direction, Valve’s Deadlock is primed to snatch its spot as the magnum opus of hero shooters – but to do so it needs, you guessed it, soul.
The most disappointing element of Overwatch 2’s launch was when Blizzard announced it was killing the PvE content. The exciting part of the FPS game’s sequel wasn’t the battle pass system or the change to 5v5; it was the opportunity to dive into the unique stories of each individual character. The only reason I kept playing the original Overwatch when Blizzard stopped releasing content for it was the hope that the sequel’s PvE would finally give me the rush of character exploration all over again.
I logged into Overwatch every night despite there being no new heroes and no fresh maps in the core pool because I loved playing as Sombra, Widowmaker, or Tracer. In an odd way, they made me feel like I was ‘at home.’ Overwatch survived the content drought following Echo’s release because people love its roster. Sure, for some, the narrative will never be anything more than background noise, but a lot of others want to play characters that they empathize with – that’s what Valve needs to tap into with Deadlock.
At the moment, Overwatch doesn’t have that spirit – the humanity that made it great. While new characters often intertwine with the previous game’s, it currently feels like every other live-service shooter. Apex Legends, Valorant – they create cool characters, but not ones with the same presence as Tracer or Doomfist. OW2 is going the same way as its competitors, and it’s depressing to watch.
All of this is why it feels like Deadlock can potentially topple Blizzard’s goliath. Valve has created some of the greatest videogame universes out there. Half-Life, Portal – two of the best PC games ever made. Then, of course, there’s the ever-iconic Team Fortress 2, made special because of its silliness. Supported by comics, developer videos, and those not-so-secret hidden links, Valve made you work to figure out what TF2 was all about, but did so in a genuinely fun way. No scrolling through wiki after wiki, no 200-hour lore videos – engaging with TF2’s narrative was easy, and you could take it or leave it.
From the leaked photos we’ve seen of Deadlock, its eerie cast of characters and imposing city streets look like the perfect place for a good ol’ noir detective story. It screams murder mystery, 1920s art deco opulence, and a whole lot of spooky. I already want to take it for a spin based on the snippets I’ve seen of the environments and the characters alone.
So if Valve takes its prowess at crafting meaningful worlds and successfully merges the lane and item systems of Dota 2 with Counter-Strike’s gunplay and crisp shooting, Deadlock could just be awesome. If it leans into that ‘20s occult decadence, I foresee (not in a crystal ball) that Deadlock might topple Overwatch 2. Throw in a PvE mode in a year or so, and it’ll be a deadly package primed to redefine the tired tropes of hero shooters. Sure, only time will tell, but color me optimistic.