Activision Blizzard continues to reveal details about the upcomingOverwatch 2free-to-play PvP and paid PvE. Among the countless changes toOverwatchwithOverwatch 2is a big revamp coming to competitive play to ensure players are facing off against others in the same skill level.
TheOverwatch 2reveal event joined Summer Game Fest today, even afterOverwatch 2’s appearance during the Xbox and Bethesda showcase included multiple announcements for the hero shooter. At theOverwatch 2reveal event, many details about the upcoming game were confirmed, such as information about the live service model and PvP, as well as a spotlight on the Junker Queen, new cosmetics, Mythic Skin tier, and more.Overwatchfans will be able to participate in anOverwatch 2closed betafor console and PC also confirmed by Activision Blizzard that takes place on June 28.
RELATED:Overwatch 2 Details Junker Queen’s Abilities and Ultimate Attack
During theOverwatch 2reveal event, Activision Blizzard specified the competitive overhaul after talking about some changes to the PvP experience with its move to free-to-play. The competitive mode inOverwatch 2will place more of an emphasis on a player’s skill level rather than their rank, which is the model followed byOverwatch. This change may have been made toOverwatch 2because the firstOverwatchhad smurf accountsin the Competitive game mode that were playing at a skill level beyond what their rank would suggest.
The new Skill Tier system inOverwatch 2will match players with similar skill levels by analyzing every seven victories before being updated with five sub Skill Tiers in a more focused calculation than the Competitive inOverwatch. A reimaginedOverwatch 2scoreboardwill offer far more information than the one featured in the original title, and a thorough post-match breakdown will express more thanOverwatch’s lower half after each match. Although Activision Blizzard teased even more details aboutOverwatch 2’s Competitive game mode in the near future, it’s currently unclear ifOverwatchfans will be able to try it ahead of the game’s October early access.
Because Activision Blizzard is making such a drastic revamp to the Competitive mode, it’s likely that the developer noticed more skilled players in lower-rankingOverwatchmatches than it was comfortable with. The Skill Tier system being brought to Competitive withOverwatch 2hasn’t been proven through public testing like the previous system, but it may be able to more accurately match players of equal skill level thanOverwatchwas able to do. With how massive the competitive scene forOverwatchhas become, Activision Blizzard may be trying to nail the optimization of how players are matched to ensure thatOverwatch 2’s competitivefuture is as successful.
Overwatch 2launches in early access for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on October 4.
