Say what you will about the monetization strategy - there are a lot of valid criticisms to make - but the changes made to the core gameplay with OW2 and moving to 5v5 made the game infinitely better to play.

5v5 with reduced CC and shields >>>> late stage OW1

I cannot fathom all the people downvoting this comment. IMO it’s a more fun and dynamic game now. But also by objective standards: balance-wise more characters than ever are viable at tournament level, they removed 2CP by overwhelming request, 5v5 makes every individual more impactful (and 17% less likely to have a disconnect in a game), they got rid of bunker comps, and they drastically reduced the CC.

It’s so much better that I can’t believe the people downvoting this are actual players of this game. OW1 painted itself into multiple corners and then festered and struggled for years.

I say this as a big critic of the game too, and as someone who played since launch.