Overwatch 2 got mixed reviews when it came out, but it can’t be denied that the sequel brought new life to the multiplayer shooter for many players. Blizzard tried to stop toxic behavior by making big changes to the competitive mode, but Season 2 showed that the system was flawed.
The main issue is inconsistent matchmaking, where players face opponents or team members far beyond their skill level. This causes lopsided matches and increases toxicity in the community.
In a recent blog post, Blizzard explained the problem with the matchmaking rating (MMR), which is an internal number that doesn’t depend on players’ visible ranks. When the new season started, players’ ranks dropped, but their MMRs remained the same.
This led to players being matched against opponents of the same skill level as before, despite the lower rank. The blog post also revealed that to balance MMR, the system may match high-skill players with low-skill players in the same role.
To improve competitive matchmaking, Blizzard should align the MMR and visible rank. The player’s rank should be based on how good they really are, and it should be shown again, even if it’s just at the end of a match. Overwatch 2 should also bring back placement matches at the start of each season instead of having rank decay.
This will allow players to progress and rank up, instead of feeling frustrated with unchanged difficulties in lobbies. Blizzard should also think about balancing MMR based on role and implementing a system that ensures equal skill levels in a match.