This has been a recurring theme in conversation since the PvP Livestream; Tank players want to understand their role in a new 5v5 world. I talked to the Hero Design and Balance team about this thread, and have summed up some thoughts below:

Tanks in Overwatch 2 remain both disruptive line breakers and push-leading protectors. Changing from two Tanks to one creates a new dynamic, where each player (including Damage and Supports) needs to be more careful about the way they position themselves. Flanking potentially becomes more potent as a strategy, and because teams aren’t relying on holding “the high ground” due to the defensive capabilities of multiple Tanks, maps are being used to their fullest (which has resulted in some fun playtests).

Tanks will still be the unquestioned authority on blocking damage; however, they won’t be simultaneously contending with the opposing Tank blocking nearly all incoming damage for their team. Changing to a single Tank means th...

Hi folks,

We are aware of this issue and are working towards a solution. No ETA as of yet.

Apologies to anyone who’s been affected by this.

Now that we’ve added tabs in the Custom Game Browser for Popular, Favorites, and Recent as well as the ability to add an official Mode Name to Custom Game settings (see the patch notes copied below), it’s important to understand how the system tracks what game mode is currently being played.

After creating a lobby from a mode in the Popular, Favorites, or Recent tab, OR after importing a code in the Settings screen, you should see the Game Code displayed beneath the mode’s Description text box. This tells you that you are “officially” playing that particular game mode. This means that 1) players searching by code or Mode Name in the browser will see your game, 2) the mode will show up in your Recent tab, and 3) your game will contribute to the overall popularity of the mode, which may help the mode show up in the Popular tab eventually (if enough people play it).

If you change the Maps, the Workshop Settings (but not the Workshop script itself), or most of the Lobby se...

Overwatch Retail Patch Notes – September 7, 2021

A new patch is now live on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. Read below to learn more about the latest changes.

To share your feedback, please post in the General Discussion forum.
For a list of known issues, visit our ...

Hope y’all are having a great Friday :).

Ah fair enough… yeah, I track major changes in the dev post archive in terms of technical changes to the ruleset. Unfortunately there have been no major changes to Competitive for several seasons now, unless you count the Global Play matchmaking changes and Crossplay addition.

The better way to figure that out is check your Player Icons or Sprays Season 1 through 21 were map themed icons and sprays, 22 and on where hero weapon themed.

Just as a friendly reminder everyone! I noticed a lot of players getting season banned during season 29 reported in the technical discussion forum. Please make sure that if you encounter a technical issue when playing Competitive, try to finish the current match, but then avoid requeuing for Competitive Play until you take the time to sort out any issues. Penalties will never be reversed for leaving Competitive matches regardless of the reason.

Welcome to Season 30 of Competitive Play

Season 30 of Competitive Play is here!

Unlocked at level 25, Competitive Play is designed for those players who want to put their skills to the test, and offers a more serious experience than our Quick Play or Arcade Modes.

GETTING STARTED

Before you can kick off your competitive career, every player will be required to complete five placement matches in a selected role to obtain their seasonal skill rating...

Your feedback about the way we’ve chosen to roll this out is noted, understood, and something we can convey as we continue work on the rename rollout.

I understand not wanting to have frequent reminders of a difficult conversation. I’ll be sure to explain that sentiment.

It’s a keen observation that this decision was made with the people who work on Overwatch in mind. At the same time, I don’t want to diminish the fact that we also considered how players would respond to this change. We knew that this would be a polarizing choice.

For the last 5+ years we’ve all created a personal connection to the heroes of OW, Cowboy being no exception. It’s understandable that emotions are high, and feelings are strong.

But can you at least tell us, with absolutely no intended hints or obligations, that you are still aware of his existing lore that his name may not have been McCree anyway?

We are aware of the existing lore.

1. What will happen to your old YouTube videos with the previous hero name?

Previous content will remain unaltered. This affects content moving forward, both in game and out (as soon as we’re able to implement in game).

2. Will you be send strikes to everyone for using previous hero name, ban channels and delete all community content?

No. We understand that it’s going to take time to get used to Cowboy’s new identity. Heck we’ve been working through adjusting our language internally to reflect the change (referring to him as Cowboy).

No hints or allusions to the new name for Cowboy here.

As to if we believe it’s worth it…

We believe it is the right thing to do to represent the values of the talented and diverse game development professionals for whom Overwatch is a labor of love.

Previous comics and books will remain unaltered.

This change will apply to all future content.

I totally get where you’re coming from here.

I can confirm that feedback from the initial conversation around Cowboy here in the forums was conveyed to the team, and it was taken into account when the team made this commitment.

I appreciate your open mindedness and willingness to listen to and consider different viewpoints.

I joined the team a few months ago, and have been onboarding and learning since then.

Most CM’s don’t just jump into the community without some preparation

Voice lines, UI/UX elements need updated, art assets, localization, review with regional teams for cultural validation, legal…there’s a very long list. It’s an extensive effort, but one that the team agrees is the right thing to do.