Feeling like not much is going on inside Overwatch these days? Well, Blizzard surely tries to shake things up, this time dumping a few large features all at once.
A few days ago, game director Jeff Caplan took to YouTube in his now-regular “selfie” style to explain what’s going on in the hero shooter.
New System: Priority Pass
There’s yet another overhaul of the matchmaking system for Overwatch. The new invention is dubbed Priority Pass and is already live in the PTR.
In essence, this is a reward system for those who select to Flex. Right now, you pick which role you want to play, and then the game waits for 2 Tanks, 2 Supports, and 2 DPS players to even form a team and begin a match. That’s all fine and good, but Damage players sensibly outnumber the other 2 class options, making wait times really tedious. The new Priority Pass is meant to discourage players from only queuing as Damage roles by giving Priority Pass stacks to those who choose Flex instead. Currently, you can stack up on up to 40 of these and redeem them in one of your next games to queue faster. Jeff made it clear the system is still in its experimental phase and the number 40 might change.
New Feature: Replay Viewer
Fans of Overwatch esports and video content are in luck. The game’s spectator mode is boosted with new features, including an option to stop the sound! This will help mainly two groups in the Overwatch community: esports supporters watching the Overwatch League and Contenders, and video format creators such as YouTube creators and Twitch streamers. That, by extension, will affect all folks who simply love watching the game.
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New Short Story: Stone By Stone
Surprisingly, Blizzard also delivered a short digital book. It is called Stone by Stone and is written by award-winning author Christie Golden, who many gamers know for her contribution to the Warcraft series of books.
The new story takes place in India and deals with Symmetra and Zenyatta, providing valuable insight into their mindset and shedding light on the mysterious Symmetra and her motivations. The file is available for free on the Overwatch website.
Well, that’s quite the update for a game that kept it silent for a good while! We’re excited to see what exciting features come next!
