Hey friend! Let‘s talk about changing enemy colors in Overwatch 2

I know you picked up Overwatch 2 and have been itching to dive into some intense competitive multiplayer action. But as a colorblind player, you‘ve probably noticed the default red enemy color doesn‘t quite stand out properly against the backgrounds and environments.

Not to worry! I‘ve got your back. As a fellow gaming and tech geek, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know about changing the enemy color as a colorblind Overwatch 2 player. Get ready to optimize those color settings and dominate the battlefield!

What‘s up with the default red enemy color anyway?

Overwatch 2 uses red to indicate enemies by default. Blue is used for teammates. This red vs blue contrast works great for players with normal color vision. But for us colorblind folks, red can blend into the scenery, making it extra tricky to spot enemies.

About 1 in 12 guys and 1 in 200 gals have some form of color blindness. The most common type is red-green color blindness, making it hard to differentiate reds, greens, browns, and similar shades.

So it‘s no surprise the default red causes issues for many Overwatch 2 players. That‘s why the ability to change enemy colors is so important!

Locating the colorblind settings

Now let‘s get into how to actually change the enemy color so you can get back to bringing the pain in Overwatch 2!

First things first, bring up the Options menu by hitting Escape (or whichever key opens the menu on your platform). Then:

Select Options
Choose the Accessibility tab at the top of the screen.
Scroll down and open the Color Blindness section.

Here you‘ll see the setting for Enemy UI Color. Click that bad boy and a dropdown will pop up with these color options:

Default Red
Yellow
Green
Purple
Cyan
Orange

Blizzard specifically chose these colors to help all kinds of color vision deficiencies. Now it‘s just a matter of picking which one helps you most!

Testing out new enemy colors

If you change the setting for the first time, how can you know which color will work best for your particular brand of colorblindness?

Here‘s my advice: Load up a custom game, drop in some bots, and test out the different color options before hopping into matches.

Make a custom game and fill up both teams with bots.
Bring up the colorblind settings and change Enemy UI Color.
Start the match and keep an eye on how obvious the enemy bots are.
Return to the menu and try a different color. Repeat as needed!

Take your time testing each one. While the default red might get lost in certain maps, maybe the yellow or purple makes baddies stand out clear as day. Focus on which color helps you constantly see where enemies are.

Picking enemy colors for individual modes

Pro tip: you can actually set a custom enemy color for each game mode in Overwatch 2. Since every mode has different maps and lighting, tailoring the enemy color per mode can really help.

For example:

Make enemies purple only in Competitive mode
Switch to yellow only for Quick Play matches
Use a stronger cyan just in Junkenstein‘s Revenge

It‘s simple to set a unique color for each mode:

On the main menu, select a game mode like Competitive.
Open the Accessibility settings.
Choose an enemy color specifically for this mode only.
Return to the main menu and repeat for other modes!

Don‘t forget the team colors too!

Apart from enemy colors, you can also change the UI color used for your teammates in Overwatch 2.

The default blue ally color may not stand out properly once the action gets chaotic. But no worries, you‘ve got options here too!

Change the Teammate UI Color to something bold like yellow or pink.
Turn on the Silhouette option, which highlights allies in clear black outlines.
Up the Opacity to make ally colors stronger.

Test out different settings to find what helps you clearly track teammates while still spotting enemies instantly. And again, play with the colors and settings per game mode for full optimization.

Tips for personalizing your optimal colors

Here are some key tips as you dial in your perfect color settings:

Choose enemy and ally colors with strong contrast between them. Avoid shades that are tough for you to distinguish.
If enemies start to blend into the background at any point, revisit your colors! Some may work great on certain maps but not others.
Focus on movement and positioning if you have any uncertainties mid-match. Use logic rather than just colors.
Let your squadmates know you adjusted the default colors so your callouts make sense. Communication is vital!
Keep an eye out for colorblind updates in patches and provide feedback to Blizzard. We want to help them improve!

By the numbers: Statistics on color blindness

Now that you‘ve got the basics down, let‘s dive a little deeper into some interesting stats and facts around color blindness:

1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency. That‘s over 300 million worldwide!
The most common type is red-green color blindness, which makes it hard to distinguish reds from greens.
There are different severity levels, from mild anomalies to full color blindness.
Color blindness is genetic and tends to run in families, although women are carriers more often than being colorblind themselves.
Certain occupations like electricians, pilots, and air traffic controllers often require normal color vision as a safety measure.
Animals like dogs and bulls only see yellows and blues – no red or green!
Neil deGrasse Tyson, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Clinton all have some form of color blindness.

Historical perspective on videogame colorblind modes

The ability to change enemy colors isn‘t just an Overwatch 2 thing. Game developers have been adding colorblind settings for years now that help players enjoy games properly.

Some notable examples include:

Battlefield added colorblind modes way back in 2002. This let players change the minimap and HUD colors.
League of Legends introduced a colorblind mode in 2012. Players could now select colors for health bars, abilities, and allies/enemies.
Fortnite released colorblind options in 2017. Gamers could alter UI elements as well as switch item rarity colors.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 provided colorblind presets in 2018. Players could choose from filters like Tritanopia, Protanopia, and more.

So Overwatch 2 continues a long tradition of accommodating color vision deficiencies in mainstream competitive games. The more customizable settings we get, the more inclusive gaming becomes!

Blizzard‘s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity

Building on their track record with the original Overwatch, Blizzard has emphasized accessibility and inclusiveness as pillar values guiding Overwatch 2’s design and community.

Some examples beyond colorblind support include:

Extensive subtitle, captioning, and visual alert options
Sound effect and dialogue adjustments for auditory issues
Customizable controls to accommodate mobility limitations
Tools to reduce motion sickness like FOV adjustments
Cognitive assistance settings like camera shake reduction

And most importantly, Blizzard has proactively engaged the disabled community to understand needs and identify opportunities to enhance accessibility further.

There is always more progress to be made. But it‘s clear Overwatch 2 aims to empower a wider spectrum of players to enjoy the fast-paced competitive gameplay.

Let‘s get in there and cause some mayhem!

Now you‘ve got all the inside scoop on customizing enemy and ally colors as a colorblind Overwatch 2 player. I don‘t know about you, but I‘m ready to jump into some matches and put these settings through their paces!

With your optimized color configurations, you‘ll be spotting enemies instantly and dominating the battlefield in no time. And remember, I‘ve always got your back if you need any other gaming tips and tricks. Colorblind gamers unite!

So get out there, customize your colors, and get busy embarrassing your opponents. The power is now in your hands!

Game on,
Your colorblind gaming guru