New Overwatch Communication Wheel Changes Explained

A new version of the communication wheel is in the Public Test Region of Overwatch right now. It adds many more communications available in the game's settings. They are accessible through the Controls tab and towards the bottom of the list is an Additional Communication section. Jeff Kaplan discusses them in first few minutes of the developer update below.

The new communication options can be bound to any key or spot of the communication wheel which can also be rearranged. There are 18 new options, added to the eight that already existed. Since they don't need to be on one of the eight communication wheel slots to be bound to a key, it's technically possible to have all 26 available to use in game if you have the space.

They were probably implemented to decrease the gap in communication between people who use voice chat and people who don't. Typing things out in the game just isn't convenient or efficient in a fast paced game like Overwatch. The eight existing communications simply weren't enough for a cohesive team strategy and that number includes emotes, which don't exactly help your team win the game.

Some of the new communication wheel options are the same as existing voice lines. Mei already had "Sorry" and Mercy already had "You're Welcome" so it's currently unclear what, if anything, Blizzard will do to those existing voice lines. Maybe they will be removed from the game or replaced with something else to reward the players that unlocked them or they might just stay in the game and end up obsolete like the Huge Rez spray.

New Overwatch Communication Wheel Changes

• Go
• Going In
• Goodbye
• Incoming
• Need Help
• No
• On My Way
• Press the Attack
• Push Forward
• Ready
• Sorry
• With You
• Yes
• You Are Welcome
• Fall Back
• Defending
• Countdown
• Attacking