Player reactions run from full praise to absolute revilement with some fresh new info from Overwatch regarding the ranking up system in Stadium and Competitive modes. The official Overwatch Twitter account had given a breakdown of the Skill Rating system for both modes in the Ping & Respond series, but not everybody is entirely okay with these changes.
First of all, there are divided opinions concerning Stadium, the more casual, knowledge-based cousin of Competitive. Some players have started getting frustrated with the matchmaking; a particular user, @vault_bliz, stated that All-Star players and those at high ranks are often thrown in with complete novices. “Stadium is all about knowledge, not MMR in normal play,” the user cited. And they do have a legitimate point: just imagine grinding all the way up to All-Star and then getting paired with an utterly clueless kid when it comes to positioning. Oof.
Next up was @ow_emerald, who, along with the experience of playing with a beginner through an All-Star game, was bewildered at that level. They suggested: “Block Competitive until you know how to Quick Play.” Honestly, not the worst idea out there. On another note, @mamatula8 had to carry a teammate locked in his All-Star match with just four hours of actual playtime.
But wait, there’s more. Then there are the folks like @rukinopio, who refuse to waste time placing in Stadium: “I’m a veteran stadium player, why should I have to do this?” That does seem like a fair point: if you’ve already proven yourself, why should you have to grind 10 games to get ranked again? And there are others like @Sephhh64 who agreed with that sentiment and begged Blizzard not to apply the changes to any player that has ranked in previous seasons.
Yet, Competitive seems to still somehow stand on a platform of hostility. @cuzza3000 complains that everyone in Pro rank plays like they’ve never picked up a controller, so they just leave the game because they feel like they’re wasting their time. Meanwhile, @Alexaoii would just like to get a decent team in Stadium solo queue because that seems like a nightmare as well.
Then there are the real wild ones—like @That1SoulsGuy demanding Wrecking Ball be added (please don’t) and @danielmasonnow screaming in all caps for the return of post-game chat and voting cards. “OTHERWISE THE GAME IS TOO TOXIC AND NOT REWARDING,” they exclaimed. You really can’t argue with that sentiment.
So, will they be able to nail the point here? Who knows? Players want better matchmaking, less grind for veterans, and maybe-just maybe-a little love for the modes they actually enjoy. Will Blizzard listen? Only time will tell. In the meantime, the Overwatch community has been making a lot of noise.
All this being said, if you are still making your way up in Stadium or Competitive, well… good luck-you’ll need it.
