The update on Overwatch 2 outlines several changes and improvements to the game’s competitive mode:
Matchmaking Improvements: Blizzard is adjusting matchmaking to prioritize placing similar groups with wide skill ranges into the same match, ensuring fairer matchups. This may result in slightly longer queue times for large groups but aims to improve overall match quality.
Return of Competitive Mystery Heroes: Season 5 will see the return of the Competitive Mystery Heroes mode, a fan favorite that randomizes team compositions and maps, adding variety and fun to competitive play.
Skill Rating Calculation: The blogpost explains how skill ratings are calculated, with factors including comparison to opponents’ ratings, player experience in Overwatch, and frequency of play in Competitive mode. Players may experience fluctuations in their skill tier and division, particularly when new to the game or returning after a break.
Competitive Rank Distribution: Overwatch 2 has seen a higher number of players at the Grandmasters rank than ever before, attributed to the game’s growing player base and players’ improving skills.
Bronze 5 Adjustments: MMR decay for inactive players inadvertently led to more players ending up in Bronze 5. Blizzard acknowledges this unintended consequence and plans to make incremental adjustments to allow players to climb out of Bronze 5 more easily.
New Competitive Option: Team Queue: A new competitive option, Team Queue, will launch on July 11, requiring teams of five players with no grouping restrictions. This mode will have a separate skill rating from other competitive modes and will enforce role-lock for balanced team compositions.
Overall, Blizzard’s focus on improving competitive play aims to address matchmaking fairness, player experience, and rank distribution to enhance the competitive environment in Overwatch 2.
