Although Overwatch 2 is in beta, it is already being played in the eSports scene, the Overwatch League. But there are issues, as the maps apparently are not suitable for it yet. The Florida Mayhem team is using a crazy play to advance on the map Circuit Royal. However, the play was banned and had to be retracted. From Blizzard’s perspective, this is not a “clever use of game mechanics,” but an exploit.
What kind of play is it?
- The play is a kind of “surprise attack” that utilizes the special abilities of the heroes Mei and Symmetra in combination and creates an interesting synergy. It was applied on the new map Circuit Royal.
- Mei uses her Ice Wall to create a solid surface on a far-away and actually unreachable roof. Symmetra uses her Teleporter to bring the team up to that roof in just a few moments. This way, the Florida Mayhem team was able to skip a large part of the map. Normally, you cannot take the “shortcut over the buildings” in this way.
- The opponents are completely surprised and the attacking team has a clear advantage by exploiting the synergies of their abilities.
Even the casters praise the play and are thrilled by the action, they rave about the “Wall TP over the Top” – the clip starts at 2:57:20:
Blizzard says: Fun play, but it is forbidden
Why is it forbidden? The head of the Overwatch League, Sean Miller, spoke out on Twitter and said:
“We understand that it is a fun play. But the rule is that it is an exploit when you use Mei’s wall to reach an unaccessible place with the teleporter. This has never been allowed in Overwatch League matches. This rule was shared with the teams and players before the season started.”
How did Overwatch react: The league annulled the round and Florida Mayhem had to repeat their attack.
The manager of the “affected team”, Paris Eternals, said: Even before an appeal could be made, Blizzard had already decided that Florida Mayhem had to repeat their attack.
For Paris, it ultimately made no difference – even without the exploit, Florida Mayhem clearly defeated the team from France 3-1.
The strongest heroes in the Overwatch 2 beta are shown here:
Beta title in the million-dollar eSports league
What’s behind it: It is quite unusual for a title that is still in beta to be played as a game in a major eSports league. Apparently, Blizzard has put itself under enormous time pressure here.
It is known that the Overwatch League is a significant investment for Blizzard and the teams involved, but Overwatch 2 does not seem to be fully eSports-ready yet.
Before the league, there had already been some disharmonies:
Overwatch: Blizzard shows caster after 5 years the cold shoulder – “Frustrating”
