Last week, Blizzard unveiled a massive new ping system for the upcoming Overwatch 2. The system will include many features of other FPS game ping systems, allowing players to communicate enemy locations, attack and defense plans, and call for help without using voice or text chat. System designer Gavin Winter said in a blog post by Blizzard that the aim is to "give people a visual alternative to voice communication."
But some players worry that the ping system will make certain heroes, especially Sombra, too powerful. During discussions in Blizzard's official forum, players said that Sombra's combination of stealth and the ability to ping enemy positions in stealth can have a "sense of oppression," allowing players to constantly track enemies while undercover.
Blizzard Community Manager Jodie echoed those concerns and revealed more about how the ping system works in the process. They said: "Each player can only place one ping in the world at a time, and if they place a new one, their previous one will be deleted immediately." This means that Sombra can only accurately track down an enemy for her team, even if she's constantly sending ping messages frequently. "
Jodie also noted that the team "has made some changes to Sombra's ping function as a result of feedback from the Alpha test" and that if she still feels too strong during the test, they are prepared to make more changes if necessary.
"We do expect Sombra players who don't use voice chat to have the same power that Sombra players who use voice chat," Jodie clarified at the end of his reply.
The ping system is a convenient way to communicate and assist teammates, and the Overwatch 2 development team believes that all players should be able to flexibly utilize this communication ability even without using the chat method.