Better latency, ranked play mode, and a new victory pose – the latest patch for Overwatch includes some changes.
Many construction sites at once in Overwatch
Overwatch is currently in a pretty heated phase of beta, as the developers are slowly but surely running out of time. It’s all the more surprising that they are still introducing new game systems and major changes. The latest patch has ensured that players can finally dive into a ranked play mode and are now less frequently shot “around corners.” We have the details for you.
The ranked play mode of Overwatch
Originally, the ranked play mode, the Ranked-Play, was meant to be postponed to sometime after the game’s release, but now it has quietly slipped into the beta version. In a “Developer Update” video, Game Director Jeff Kaplan explains what the team envisioned for Ranked Play and how it is supposed to develop in the coming months.
Players compete in 2 rounds on the same map – once as attackers and once as defenders. Only after both rounds are completed is the winner determined. If one side wins both matches, the victory is clear. However, if there is a tie, for example, if the attack was won but the defense was lost, then it goes to “Sudden Death” on a control map. A single point is contested, and whoever has the advantage there wins the game.
Overall, there are 5 different “ranks” with 5 divisions each. Every player starts as “Challenger 1” and works their way up to “Heroic.” Provided, of course, that one can rack up victories. Similar to Hearthstone, once a player reaches “Heroic,” they cannot fall back down. In the future, like in the card game, the exact rank of the player will be displayed to give clear information on how one stands compared to the rest of the world.
There is a participation requirement for ranked play: players must reach at least level 25 to participate. This is to prevent complete newcomers from diving into this mode when they may not be familiar with all heroes, maps, and abilities.
There will also be small rewards for this mode, but few and purely cosmetic in nature. These rewards will not make it into the beta; for now, they just want to test the system.
Changes to the netcode – faster reactions
Another “Developer Update” revolves around the netcode, the exact mechanics, and server structures behind Overwatch. In nearly 20 minutes, the developers explain how Overwatch handles various aspects of the game, from latency to the reaction of a bullet hit. Until now, the system favored the shooter even if they had poor latency. As a result, there were often cases where players were hit even though they were already behind a wall, which felt unfair. In the future, the “grace period” that players with high latency have will be significantly reduced.
The whole topic is quite complicated but can be summed up with the words “Players with a good connection should feel treated more fairly.” You can derive all the small details best from the video.
Tracer – Less backside, more fun
Finally, Blizzard has exchanged the controversial victory pose “Over the Shoulder” of Tracer, as previously announced. The name remains the same, but the young Brit poses a little differently now and no longer emphasizes her backside as much as before. Check out the new pose for yourself and form your own opinion.
For more news and articles about Blizzard’s hero shooter, check out our Overwatch theme page.
