Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller has outlined numerous changes that will be coming to Blizzard’s shooter in Season 3, including “more clarity” for players looking to determine their ranked skill.
In a blog published Friday (January 27), Keller acknowledged that Overwatch 2‘s new ranked mode suffered from “poor comprehension” at launch.
“There was confusion around players' real rank and just how that translated for their level of skill, difficulty forming groups with friends, along with a negative impression from the matchmaker when players of different ranks were make the same match,” shared Keller.
To address these issues, Blizzard will be unveiling details on “short-term changes and long-term vision” to create “more clarity” to the system soon. However, it’s a topic that will be addressed across both Season 3 and Season 4.
Outside of ranked, Keller says the team has gotten feedback that Overwatch 2 “doesn’t feel rewarding enough to play” and items can take too much time to unlock. Like the ranked changes, Keller says a “first step” update should address a number of this in Season 3.
Season 3 will also bring a discount to the quantity of ultimate charge that’s refunded when players switch between heroes. With this change, players will only be refunded 25 per cent of their charge when they swap who they’re playing.
Looking ahead, Keller also confirmed that Blizzard continues to go over the main topic of one-shot abilities and “frustrating” mechanics, and can return to the topic when it has more to talk about.
Earlier within the month, Keller spoke to NME about the challenges behind balancing heroes in Overwatch 2. The director also teased several upcoming game modes, and says the shooter’s next two heroes is going to be supports.
In other gaming news, Xbox head Phil Spencer believes that 2023 was “too light” on game releases from the company’s studios.
