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.
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...
Read moreYour 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.
We’re not quite ready to reveal the details of how the change will be reflected in game.
What I can say is that changing the name of a much beloved hero is going to be a significant undertaking, and one that we’re approaching with consideration.
Hey folks. To address some of the initial feedback we’re seeing here:
This is a change that was important to us as a team, both in terms of what we represent and believe, and how it could impact some members of the community. This decision was made to better reflect the values of not only the team, but of the bright and inclusive future that Overwatch represents.
I understand that feelings about this announcement will be complicated. I encourage us all to be willing to listen and consider others around us at this time.
A new Overwatch patch is in development and now available for testing! To share your feedback or report any issues, please post in the PTR Feedback or ...
Read moreCurrently, we’ll show 0 or 1 “Trending” modes and 0 to 2 “Hot” modes. There’s a minimum threshold of popularity and ascension speed required for either label, at which point we first choose the “Trending” card followed by “Hot” cards if any remain.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is all subject to change.
Regarding keeping things fresh, we will also be showing up-and-coming modes that have a recent increase in popularity, even if they aren’t yet as popular as the top modes. These will be given the “Trending” tag (representing a very rapid increase in popularity) or the “Hot” tag (possibly more popular than Trending modes, though not as rapid an ascent).
These are cool ideas! Thanks for the suggestions.
Though the popularity algorithm is always subject to change – we’ll be paying attention and tweaking it as necessary – popularity is currently based on the amount of time players spend playing your game mode. This means that if 12 people spend an hour playing your game – whether in a single 12 player instance or in 3 different 4 player instances – it counts 12 hours towards your mode’s popularity.
While we don’t currently have functionality in place to detect or prohibit a player from copying a mode, removing references to the original creator, and reuploading the mode to a new code (possibly with minor changes), we definitely share your concerns. We’ll be watching to see how the new tabs affect such behavior.
Not sure about the hero customization issue. Hopefully, that’s limited to PTR.
We currently save up to 32 favorites and 32 recents, though we may adjust that number as needed.
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