Developer Blizzard Entertainment is preparing for the launch of hero shooter Overwatch 2. There are a few things for players to know before the official release on October 4th. In particular, the team shared Defense Matrix Initiative – the infrastructure of systems designed to help protect the integrity of gameplay and promote positive behavior in Overwatch 2 – and outlined the updates coming for competitive play.
As the heart of Overwatch community for years, competitive play is something that Blizzard hopes to nurture into the future with long-term plans already worked out. There were a few goals that guided the developers’ decisions:
- Seasons should be exciting and tell their own individual stories
- Losing games shouldn’t be a strictly negative experience
- The game needs an improved competitive experience for returning players
In Overwatch 2, match experience will be counting towards leveling up your Battle Pass. New players who create an Overwatch 2 account on or after October 4 will play through a guided First-Time User Experience (FTUE). They will need to complete FTUE and win 50 Quick Play matches before Competitive unlocks. This process gives new players some time to prepare for the higher expectations that come with the competitive game mode.
Tiers still exist in Competitive—Bronze through Grand Master. Each tier will have five divisions ranking from 5 (lowest) to 1 (highest). As you progress through each tier, your division will count down until you rank up to the next tier. Top 500 will not have tier divisions. Tier Divisions represent the same skill levels as SR, but they give players a higher-level view of where they’re placed in Competitive.
The introduction of the new competitive scoreboard will help players identify the team’s needs and adjust the strategy accordingly. Overwatch 2 does away with medals as they were too arbitrary to paint an accurate picture. The new ping system will also provide players with a new tool to communicate with the team without having to speak or to enhance voice call-outs with in-game cues.
