Good Wednesday afternoon everyone! It’s already 5 in the morning and the boss is gently asking if I have “Mecker Wednesday” on my mind. Of course – right after just “one more round” Overwatch. But the game simply doesn’t have enough content!

You can already see where this is headed today. Overwatch has been out for almost 2 weeks, and since the game falls largely under my reporting, I have to deal with several comments and discussions. What really bothers me are the (in my opinion) poorly thought-out complaints that the game lacks content. Sure, it’s not always sensible to look back, because games were developed, distributed, and maintained differently back then. Nevertheless, it well illustrates the shift in expectations that has crept into the minds of players over the last decade. Did we scream for new “content” back then? No, we did not. Games on the consoles that accompanied a large part of my childhood, such as Mario Party (the good old… parts 1-3), Warcraft 3, or Counter Strike (which I was never good at – but hey, it was fun on a LAN). Back then, there were no cries for new and more content – why would there be? The fun in these games was (and still is, to some extent) to engage with what you already know and what has been proven, and to get better constantly in order to compete with friends.

Do multiplayer titles need “content”?

And while it may seem that I’m just trying to “defend” Overwatch, these demands really annoy me. I’ve put so many hours into other games, like Left 4 Dead 2 and Evolve, and I was satisfied with what the games offered. The variety in these games comes from encountering other players. Every round is different, no fight is the same. That is – at least for me – significantly more “content” than much else that developers could still add.

Perhaps I just have a different definition of content than all those players in the comments. A game like Witcher 3 needs a lot of “content”, since it’s a single-player RPG. World of Warcraft needs more “content”, otherwise the item spiral doesn’t work anymore. But Overwatch, as a pure multiplayer title? Nah. Not from my perspective.

What do you think? Do shooters that are announced from the start as pure multiplayer titles really need more “content” in the form of single-player campaigns or similar things?

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In an interview, Jeff Kaplan talks about the upcoming Ranked mode of Overwatch and also shares some words about the mysterious “Sombra”.

Ranked mode is solid, final tests underway

The colleagues from Eurogamer had the opportunity to conduct a detailed interview with Jeff Kaplan, the Game Director of Overwatch. Most of the questions revolved around the upcoming update, the ranked game mode, and “Sombra”, a potential new hero in Overwatch.

More skill, less farming

Even during the closed beta, players could try out the ranked game mode of Overwatch. However, neither the team nor the player base was really satisfied with it, which is why they wanted to tackle two major points.

The original system felt too much like “progress”. Players started at the lowest rank and had to work their way up slowly. There were several tiers and divisions through which you could slowly progress. You started as a “beginner” with one star, and through wins, you gained more stars until you promoted to the new rank “Advanced”. Within a rank, you could lose and gain stars, but you could never drop out of your rank – so anyone who was “Advanced” and kept losing remained so.

Professionals particularly criticized that sooner or later, any player could reach the high ranks if they just had a small streak of good luck. For this reason, the new system will be more straightforward: those who win will rank up. Those who lose will rank down. There will no longer be a “safety net”.

The second important point was the duration of a season. These should last one month each, similar to Hearthstone. However, players felt that was too little time, especially in combination with the ranking system. The new plan is for a season to last 10 weeks, followed by a 2-week “break”, before the next season begins – so one season each quarter.

A specific date for the first major patch has not yet been set, but they are still aiming for “late June”. However, they make no promises if there are any last-minute issues – so that no one will be disappointed.

And what about the “new heroine” Sombra?

At the end of the interview, they asked Kaplan again about Sombra – according to the hints in the game and the theory of many players, she is Pharah’s mother and could be implemented as a new hero in Overwatch in the near future.

“We have spread many hints in and outside of the game. I would say it’s slowly time for players to ask who Sombra really is. I hope fans continue to search and find even more hints that are hidden out there.”

And with that, Kaplan opens the new scavenger hunt, because when asked the last question “So have they not found all the hints yet?” he responds with a clear: “No”.

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In South Korea, Overwatch also achieved full success and surpassed almost all other games.

Entry directly to 2nd place of the most played games

For several weeks now, Overwatch has been playable worldwide. After Blizzard announced that more than 7,000,000 players have decided to purchase the hero shooter, the number is likely to have increased significantly again. However, purchases do not necessarily mean that a game is played a lot, right?

That’s why further information is so important to properly assess the current success of Overwatch. A prime example is South Korea, where a large portion of games are played in internet cafes, known as PC Bangs. In the West, such internet cafes have been more of a trend; we moved gaming “home.” In parts of Asia, these PC Bangs have essentially replaced the old “arcades” and are an important part of gaming culture.

According to data from Gametrics, Overwatch pushed almost all popular titles aside in its release week and entered directly at 2nd place, with 14.7% of total playtime. This left games like Sudden Attack (12.8%), Fifa Online 3 (5.4%), Lineage (3.6%), and StarCraft (3.3%) behind. Only League of Legends remains in first place with a significant margin at 35.2%, but had to give up 10% of its players to Overwatch.

The great success also comes from the fact that Blizzard offered special discounts in internet cafes at the game’s launch.

Mein-MMO says: Even though the data at the launch of a game is not very indicative, as the hype is usually the largest at the beginning, this is still good news for Blizzard. Whether Overwatch’s success is just a temporary phenomenon or whether the game will be a long-term hit will be decided by the players in the coming weeks. This will also significantly depend on how quickly Blizzard implements further game modes, maps, heroes, and of course the overdue “Ranked Play”.

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Will gamers on consoles soon be able to play Overwatch with their friends on PC? Blizzard gives a clear answer.

PC players will never play Overwatch against console players

For several weeks, Overwatch has now been available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One; however, the groups play on their respective platforms separately. In other words: PlayStation players only compete against other gamers on the Sony console. The same goes for players on Xbox, or the PC version of the hero shooter.

On Twitter, they have now answered a fan’s question about how cross-platform play would look. The answer is direct. “There is no cross-platform play.” However, at least for the consoles, they leave a glimmer of hope. “We are keeping an eye out for cross-platform possibilities on consoles.” While this is by no means a specific timeline, it does give hope that in the future, Gamepad to Gamepad may happen. Whenever that future may be.

However, Blizzard categorically excludes a mixing of the player base from console and PC. It would lead to balance issues and thus difficulties in competitive play if players with keyboard and mouse were allowed to play together with shooters using gamepads.

Mein-MMO says: Although it sounds nice to throw as many players into one pool as possible, the fun of the game would likely suffer if console players faced off against PC players. At least the possibility of connecting with each other on different consoles sounds good. However, since Sony and Microsoft are not particularly known for their cooperation, the implementation of such a plan could still take quite a while.

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In Overwatch Tracer is one of the most famous and notorious heroes in the game. The lively damage dealer zooms around the battlefield giggling and grinning via teleportation, taking out opponents in droves – if played correctly. We will show you how to do that in our Tracer guide!

You either hate her or love her, but everyone knows her! We are talking about Tracer, the face of Overwatch, who was the first heroine from Blizzard’s hero shooter to make it into their own MOBA Heroes of the Storm. But how do you play this giggling nuisance optimally?

Tracer at a Glance

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Tracer is one of currently six offensive characters in Overwatch. Thanks to her teleport ability, she is extremely fast and mobile and can appear and disappear almost anywhere on the battlefield. Additionally, she deals immense burst damage with her two pistols when she gets up close to the enemy and can shoot freely. With the ability Recall, she can and should quickly disappear when encountering resistance, as with only 150 health points, Tracer is one of the frailest heroines in the game.

Tracer’s Abilities in Detail

Tracer has two abilities, a single firing mode, and an ultimate ability.

• Warp: Tracer’s most important skill. This allows Tracer to teleport a considerable distance in the direction she is facing, allowing her to overcome gaps but not obstacles. Additionally, Warp only works on a horizontal plane, so you cannot teleport upwards. Warp has three charges, one of which regenerates every three seconds.
• Recall: Tracer’s “Oh-Shit-Button”. When Tracer encounters resistance and needs to take damage, you should activate this skill. When you use Recall, you will be returned to exactly where you were a few seconds ago, with the ammunition and health points you had at that time. This makes Tracer a real terror in duels, as compared to her enemy, she has a second chance to finish off the damaged opponent from the first skirmish.
• Pulse Bomb (Ultimate): A devilish ability that makes Tracer even more annoying than she already is. This skill allows you to throw a sticky mine at the enemy from close range. It explodes after a short time, dealing 400 damage to the target and the surrounding area. Ideal for taking out healers and other supporters or Symmetra’s teleporter.
• Pulse Pistols (Primary Attack): Tracer’s standard attack is nothing special, and she only has a primary attack, no alternative firing mode. Tracer’s pistols have a total of 40 shots, which she fires in just one second. The reload time is also only one second. Each hit deals 1.5 to 6 damage points, so you always need to make sure to keep the entire magazine consistently pumped into the enemy.

Strategies and Tips for Tracer

When playing Tracer, you should remember one thing: You are a flanker, and your job is to disrupt the enemy – a classic “harasser.” Tracer has no place at the front. Instead, you should lurk in the enemy’s flanks or backlines and always attack when the enemy is distracted or when you catch a straggler alone. Teleport to him, deal some damage, and depending on his reaction, either use Recall to escape or continue chasing him with Warp until he is dead. Then disappear again and look for a new target. This way, your opponents will be massively unsettled and live in constant fear when they hear Tracer’s laughter.

However, avoid groups of enemies, as just one good hit can take you out, and you have little potential for group fighting. Only a bold use of the Pulse Bomb against a group of distracted enemies can mean success. Warp to the enemies, stick the bomb on, and immediately activate Recall to escape.

The following tips for Tracer should always be kept in mind:

• Manage your Warp charges well and don’t waste them unnecessarily. If one Warp is enough, you shouldn’t waste another.
• If the enemy survives your first attack, you should immediately follow up and finish him off with a melee attack. Just like Tracer does in Heroes of the Storm.
• Use your Pulse Bomb as often as possible and don’t hold onto it for long. When playing Tracer effectively, you’ll have the bomb back in no time.
• The bomb is a good counter to Torbjörn’s turrets. Teleport to the turret, stick the bomb on, and use Recall to escape. That should take out the turret immediately.
• Watch out for Roadhog’s hook! If he catches you, you should hammer the Recall button like crazy. If you’re lucky, it will activate in time, and you’ll escape a deadly scrap shot while the rampaging hog grunts at you stupidly.

Tracer’s Arch-Enemies

Tracer is an excellent duelist who can effortlessly wipe out many opponents in duels. However, you should be careful with the following heroes on the enemy team:

• Roadhog: As already mentioned, his hook is a major problem for you. Thanks to “hitscan,” he only needs to have you in his sights and pull the trigger to reel you in. Only a well-timed Recall can save you.
• McCree: If you encounter McCree, you have a problem. His flashbang combined with his rapid-fire mode will kill you IMMEDIATELY. Make sure you shoot first and then immediately escape with Warp or Recall. Then you can take down the cowboy in retaliation.
• Bastion: If you unexpectedly run into a position defended by Bastion, the hail of bullets should quickly take you out. Use Recall at the first sign of fire, or else it’s curtains for you. However, if you know where Bastion is hiding, you can easily bypass him with Warp bursts and blow him up from close range with a Pulse Bomb.
• Reaper: Reaper has a similar gameplay to Tracer, and since he can also use his Shadow Step to escape, encounters between these two “harassers” will always turn into extended cat-and-mouse games. Reaper can take more hits and can quickly kill Tracer, but Tracer is more mobile and can outmaneuver an inattentive Reaper and potentially catch him if he tries to escape.
• Soldier: 76: If you encounter Soldier: 76 and he is prepared for you, you have a problem. He can withstand more than you and deal significant damage. If he has his healing field active, you should avoid engaging him altogether. Instead, try to surprise him from behind and take him down quickly.
• Torbjörn: Torbjörn’s turrets are very dangerous, and you should only engage him and his turrets with a full charge of Warp and Recall, as well as an available Pulse Bomb.

So much for our guide on Tracer. What do you think of the heroine? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget that we have plenty more guides and tips for the game on our Overwatch topic page.

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