Photo credit: www.engadget.com
Blizzard Entertainment has officially detailed the upcoming hero bans system for competitive play in Overwatch 2. This new feature aims to empower teams to exclude heroes they perceive as overly powerful or frustrating, introducing a strategic layer where teams must anticipate each other’s preferences without revealing their own choices. This mechanic mirrors elements found in other competitive titles, such as League of Legends, where hero selection dynamics are crucial to gameplay.
With the implementation of a “Ban Phase,” Blizzard is seeking to enhance the gaming experience by offering players the ability to remove heroes they find particularly bothersome. Additionally, this system allows the company to gather valuable data that could inform future game balancing efforts. Upon entering a competitive match, players will start by designating their “Preferred Hero,” indicating which hero they wish to protect from bans. Following this selection, players will rank three heroes they wish to remove from the match, with the top choice having the highest priority and the last choice the least.
Votes will be collected concurrently from all players, and communication will be restricted between opposing teams until the voting process concludes.
The voting outcomes are determined by specific rules:
- The team that secures the highest number of votes for a particular hero will be designated as the “first” team, ensuring that their selected hero is banned. In cases of a tie, a random selection determines which team is considered first.
- The opposing team then becomes the “second” team. If their chosen heroes do not overlap with the first team’s ban, their top two votes will face removal.
- If the second team’s selection includes a hero already banned by the first team, their third most voted hero will be excluded instead.
- Subsequently, the second most voted hero from the first team is also banned, again factoring in the second team’s previous choices.
In instances where votes for a hero are tied, the game prioritizes the hero chosen by the largest number of players in the lobby. Further ties are resolved randomly. Importantly, each role has a maximum cap of two bans. Players who are undecided on bans also have the option to abstain from voting, allowing their teammates to make selections on their behalf.
Blizzard’s announcement of hero bans was featured during the Season 15 introduction, coinciding with the introduction of a new perks system. The hero bans will officially roll out with Season 16 on April 22 and will be accompanied by a new Stadium mode. This mode will allow for five-on-five matches where players can earn currency for upgrades between rounds and experiment with a third-person perspective.
Source
www.engadget.com