Ranked matches have always sparked heated debates in Overwatch. Blizzard has addressed two of the discussed topics. With Season 8 in January, the difference in skill ratings and individual performance will be adjusted.
The ranked mode of Overwatch regularly causes frustration and annoyance among players. Nevertheless, it is an important part of the game and the main reason many players play Overwatch.
Problems with the ranked system are frequently discussed in the forum by players. The developers are listening. And evidently doing so well. For the upcoming 8th season of the hero shooter, two major problems will be resolved.
Matchmaking should be fairer – players with similar skill ratings
Currently, there is frequent criticism that players with extremely different ratings (skill ratings) face each other. Even within a team, the difference between the strongest and weakest player can be enormous.
This is especially true at the upper and lower ends of the player base, which is generally thinner. It was justified by the fact that this allows for faster game matching. However, the quality of the games suffers greatly as a result, thus reducing the enjoyment of play.
In the upcoming season, Blizzard will reduce the maximum difference in player rankings. While this means that players at both the upper and lower ends will take longer to find matches, they will have more interesting games with a higher chance of victory.
Personal performance no longer affects skill rating (Diamond+)
Another significant point of criticism is the calculation of personal performance and the retention of skill ratings after a match. Previously, the ranking rewarded players who performed their roles well.
Recently, this realization circulated with Mercy: Those who played Mercy could quickly climb in skill rating.
Currently, the retention of SR is structured as follows:
- If the probability of winning is >50%, there is less SR for a win and more deduction for a loss.
- Conversely, as an “underdog”, more points are given for a win and less deduction for a loss.
- The higher the rank, the smaller the increase in points.
- For particularly good personal performance, there are more points for a win and less deduction for a loss.
- Conversely, there are fewer points for a win and more deduction for a loss with poor performance.
Particularly the last two points are interesting here. The game itself has indirectly caused players to limit themselves to a few characters.
The rest of the team had to adjust to them or face defeat. Particularly, players who only play one character, known as “one-trick ponies”, were very disliked as a result.
Developers are now addressing this. Starting from the Diamond rank, personal performance will no longer influence the retention and deduction of SR. This is intended to promote teamwork by encouraging players to play what is needed and communicate. They should focus on winning – not on their personal performance.
The changes come into effect with the start of Season 8 of Overwatch, which begins in early January.
