Summary

  • Overwatch 2 is introducing changes to the competitive ranking system, addressing community feedback for more clarity and transparency in players' skill tiers.
  • The upcoming rework will remove the requirement of winning specific games to update a player's competitive rank, instead providing instant feedback on how each game impacts their ranking.
  • The competitive system rework also includes the addition of a new rank called Ultimate for the best Overwatch 2 players, as well as new cosmetics and a rank reset for all players with improved placement matches.

During the Overwatch 2 Deep Dive at BlizzCon 2023, the Overwatch 2 development team announced upcoming changes to competitive ranks in Blizzard’s FPS. This change aims to bring more clarity to the way competitive ranks work in Overwatch 2, a frequent request from the community since the game’s release last year.

When Overwatch 2 came out in October 2022, Blizzard brought various changes to the competitive system of its FPS compared to the original 2016’s Overwatch. Players who partake in competitive matches used to receive points indicating their Skill Rating, also known as SR. Depending on their SR, gamwrs were placed in a specific tier, ranging from Bronze for lower SR players to Grandmaster and Top 500 for the best Overwatch players. This SR feature disappeared with the release of Overwatch 2 in favor of a more abstract system placing players in skill tiers and divisions with no indication as to their exact matchmaking score, leading to some confusion as to why they would be placed in a lower Overwatch 2 skill tier than expected.

RELATED: Overwatch 2 Getting New 3-Player Co-Op Mode

The Overwatch 2 development team unveiled an upcoming rework to the competitive ranking to better showcase players’ progress in their skill tier. As players currently need to win 5 games or lose 15 matches to receive an update to their competitive rank, this new system will remove this requirement in favor of instant feedback on how a specific game impacted the overall player’s ranking. After each competitive game of Overwatch 2, a progress bar will show exactly how the player’s rank increased or decreased and how far along they are to reach the next competitive skill tier.

This upcoming change to Overwatch 2’s competitive system comes with two additional modifications. The development team teased a new rank above Grandmaster for the best Overwatch 2 players, called Ultimate. Those taking part in competitive matches will also be rewarded with new cosmetics, the Emerald weapons. The launch of this competitive rework will come with a rank reset for all players, with the Overwatch 2 team promising an improved placement match system to better place each player in a competitive skill tier adapted to their current capacities.

Players have mixed feelings about this rework to Overwatch 2’s competitive ranking system. Several comments compared this update to the previous SR system of the original Overwatch, wondering if Blizzard simply reverted to the old ranking system instead of bringing a truly improved experience. Others were satisfied with this announcement, as it will provide more transparency as to their progress in the grind to improve their competitive rank.

All Overwatch 2 Changes and Additions Announced At Blizzcon 2023

Besides this competitive rework, the Overwatch 2 development team announced various changes coming to Blizzard’s FPS in the upcoming months:

  • New tank hero available in Season 8: Mauga.
  • New damage hero available in Season 10: Venture.
  • New support hero available in Season 12: Space Ranger (currently just a codename).
  • New 3-player co-op mode called Hero Mastery: Gauntlet.
  • New Hero Mastery missions for Mei, D.Va, Echo, Lucio, and Genji.
  • New game mode Clash.
  • New Clash map: Hanaoka, a revamped version of Hanamura.
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6 /10

Overwatch 2
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Shooter
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Systems
super greyscale 8-bit logo PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
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Released
August 10, 2023
ESRB
T For Teen // Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Violence
Developer(s)
Blizzard
Publisher(s)
Blizzard
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
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Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.

Franchise
Overwatch
Platform(s)
PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, PC
Genre(s)
Shooter
Platforms That Support Crossplay
PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S