Overwatch 2’s Perks Fixed One of the Game’s Biggest Meta Issues

The introduction of Hero Perks in Overwatch 2 has addressed one of the most problematic aspects of the game’s meta, helping to break the stagnation that had been setting in.

Although slightly divisive, Hero Perkshave injected much-needed freshness into the game. Overwatch had largely become a “solved” experience, and with Marvel Rivals drawing away a significant portion of its player base, Blizzard’s hero shooter needed a shake-up.

That’s where the Perks system comes in—an exciting alternative to Marvel Rivals’ team-up mechanic. As players stick with a hero throughout a match, they gain experience, level up, and unlock new skills and abilities that can significantly alter gameplay.

While this may sound like a radical change, it has ultimately improved the game. One of the biggest benefits has been addressing Overwatch’s long-standing counter-swapping issue.

Counter-Swapping Is No Longer as Dominant in Overwatch 2

The shift to a 5v5 format made counter-swapping even more prevalent, as the removal of a second tank left teams more vulnerable to hard counters. This created a frustrating “counter-swap” meta, especially for tank players.Running Doomfist? The enemy picks Roadhog. Swap to Roadhog? They respond with D.Va or Orisa. The cycle continued, turning matches into a rock-paper-scissors contest rather than a true test of skill.

This constant swapping not only limited players from showcasing their main heroes but also exacerbated balance issues, as some heroes had clear hard counters rather than soft ones.

Hero Perks, however, provide a strong incentive to stick with a character instead of constantly swapping. When a player changes heroes, their Perk progress is reset, meaning they lose any upgrades earned. While experience gain is slightly accelerated to compensate, switching heroes still leaves players behind in progression compared to opponents who remain on the same character.

Some perks are minor, making swapping a viable option. However, if a player has leveled up Winston and unlocked a buffed Primal Rage and healing bubble shield, it becomes much harder to justify switching just because the enemy picks Bastion.

Importantly, Hero Perks don’t completely eliminate counter-swapping — it remains a core part of Overwatch’s identity. However, the system introduces an additional layer of decision-making, forcing players to weigh whether swapping is truly worth sacrificing perk progression.

As Hero Perks continue to evolve, they could help bring Overwatch into a more balanced state. While some concerns about balance are emerging as players learn to optimize the system, Perks give developers more control than ever over individual hero power levels.

There will likely be growing pains as Blizzard fine-tunes the mechanic, but one thing is clear — the Perks system has already been a major improvement over Overwatch’s previous state.