Overwatch 2's Cross-Platform Aim Assist Has Fans Divided
"Overwatch 2" has gotten off to a rocky start since its launch on October 4. Not long after it was released, the game was unceremoniously shut down by a DDoS attack. Even after the attack was rectified, players complained about the SMS Protect system which required players to provide a phone number to keep out bots and hackers. After this decision angered the fanbase, Blizzard backed away from the feature and allowed more experienced players to skip that process. After a litany of technical issues, it seems certain gameplay elements in "Overwatch 2" are finally up for scrutiny amongst the game's community.
In 2021, Blizzard announced that cross-play between console and PC players would be added to "Overwatch 2." Now a pillar in modern gaming, the idea of cross-platform functionality in the game wasn't met with much fanfare. However, since the game's launch, some "Overwatch 2" players aren't satisfied with the cross-play experience provided by "Overwatch 2." In fact, some despise it because aim assist isn't supported for players who are using a controller.
Aim assist is disabled during crossplay between console and PC players
On Reddit, user u/KellySweetHeart made a post saying that the lack of aim assist for console players when playing with or against PC players puts them at a disadvantage. "My friend group has been wanting to play OW2 together since it came out but some of us being on PC make it so others suffer a significant dip in their aim consistency because their aim assist is removed in PC Pool," the post said. " For some, it's just an obstacle, but others just find less enjoyment out of the game being disadvantaged this way."
In response, other "Overwatch 2" players agreed. One user pointed out that due to the lack of competitive play between console and PC players, there really is no upside to forcing players into disabling their aim assist. Others suggested that if aim assist, or lack thereof, was truly an issue, then Blizzard should institute some kind of matchmaking that detects input devices. However, not everyone is on board. As mentioned by u/ShiznazTM, allowing aim assist in crossplay on "Apex Legends" caused players on controllers to be overrepresented on the game's leaderboards. There were also arguments about rotational aim assist, which some PC players claim all but eliminates skill-based aiming and essentially creates an aimbot.
Whether or not Blizzard decides to remove this feature for cross-play players remains to be seen. But no matter what, it will be a divisive decision.