Overwatch 2 players slam “unimpressive” rank-up content

The Overwatch 2 community has criticized highly skilled players for “smurfing” in lower ranks in order to make YouTube content, typically by starting new accounts and ranking up as high as they can.

Overwatch 2 content creators, similar to other competitive titles, often do ‘rank up’ challenges, where pros and high-ranked players play on a fresh account, while giving tips and explaining their thought process as they progress through ranks.

But now some players are starting to grow frustrated with how Overwatch 2 content is produced on YouTube, and they have a particular problem with a specific type of video: the “Unranked to Grandmasters” formula.

In these videos, content creators open a new account and start playing Competitive, in an attempt to reach where they were on their main account. But this formula has been described as “unimpressive” by many Overwatch 2 players, and it’s also being criticized for increasing the number of smurf accounts in the game.

In a popular post on the Overwatch subreddit, one player noted: “There’s nothing educational about Top 500 players playing in Silver, there’s nothing to learn. It’s just 1000s of hours of mechanical skill against casual players.

“So many YouTubers do this and it’s ruining a lot of Overwatch content, at least for me. I don’t support smurfing and “unranked to GM” is the worst form of it.

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“YouTubers try and make it sound like it’s not smurfing by saying it’s “educational” but it doesn’t matter. It’s pretty much game over right when the match starts.

“Seeing a top 500 players go from Unranked to GM isn’t even impressive. Like wow, you played against players SIGNIFICANTLY worse than you and got to your normal rank. Congratulations for ruining countless low elo games.”

Several other players agreed with the post, and said that it was a kind of content that no longer appealed to them.

Another player pointed out that the advice provided in these videos didn’t even help lower-ranked accounts, saying:  I watched a Bronze to Grandmasters video where the guy literally just melted everyone he looked at. He was insanely aggressive because his mechanics were so perfect.

“A metal player trying to emulate this playstyle is going to be useless because you can’t kill players that quickly.”

Another said they would prefer it if Overwatch content creators made it significantly harder for themselves to rank up, or spent more time reviewing footage from other people so they can analyze it in the moment.

I agree, the videos would be better if they just reviewed real Gold players. The issue is a Top 500 player will do things a Gold player cannot.

“Alternatively, they should handicap themselves so they actually lose or struggle with games in some way so people can learn.”

Blizzard has said they are committed to reducing the number of smurf accounts in the game as they gear up for significant changes to the competitive system.

For more Overwatch 2 news, check out our coverage of the plans to rework Mercy.