The latest patch of Overwatch has expanded the beta with new features – now you can rate other players.
I like you and I don’t like you …
Overwatch has received a new patch that, alongside some balance changes, also introduced new rating features. Players can now rate the matchmaking after a match – whether the game was balanced or if one team had a permanent upper hand. The developers want to gain new insights from these reports to ensure that more enjoyable matches occur in the long term.
A similar system exists for all players. Did you have fun and success with a certain person? Rate that player positively at the end of the round. Did the collaboration with someone go poorly or did you feel that the other player was hopelessly outmatched skill-wise? Rate them negatively.
These ratings are not meant to “ban” players or punish them in any way; instead, they should contribute positively to matchmaking and provide Blizzard with valuable data.
Balancing Changes
There have also been some adjustments in the balancing area. McCree was the jack-of-all-trades, as he was very effective in close combat, as well as at medium and long ranges – they didn’t want him to be a sniper, so his damage and accuracy at range were reduced.
Symmetra, on the other hand, received some buffs and can now build her turrets faster to recover from a wild monkey attack (as Winston loves to do) quicker and to have significance as an offensive hero.
The ultimate ability of Mercy was changed with the latest patch. The resurrection is now not activated spontaneously, but only at the end of the animation – and both developers and players are unhappy about this. Occasionally, teammates miss their resurrection, and overall, the ability doesn’t feel powerful anymore. “We want to nerf Mercy’s ultimate, but we approached it the wrong way. In an upcoming patch, we will try a different approach,” says Jeff Kaplan.
For Torbjörn and Bastion, the developers need to think of something in the future. Both characters are seen as “too powerful” by newcomers, while they are considered too weak in the high competitive range. How exactly they want to balance the heroes to satisfy both groups has yet to be decided.
Currently, there is a big beta weekend with many players in Overwatch. (Spoiler: I am not participating!) Are you in? How do you like it? And what do the “veterans” among you think of the changes?
