Overwatch 2 dev hints at big upgrades coming to competitive ranked play
Blizzard EntertainmentIn a series of cryptic Twitter exchanges, Jared Neuss, the Executive Producer for Overwatch 2, has hinted at significant upgrades coming to competitive ranked play.
Responding to two specific comments with the “👀” emoji, Neuss has sparked speculation regarding potential changes to rank visibility and competitive rewards in Overwatch 2.
One comment that caught Neuss’s attention was a plea for the return of visible ranks, a feature present in Overwatch 1 but removed for the sequel.
In Overwatch 1, players could see the ranks of all players in the competitive lobby. However, this feature was removed in Overwatch 2, and ranks were hidden. Some speculated that this change was made to reduce toxicity, as players would often compare their team’s ranks to the opposing team’s ranks, leading to a defeatist mentality. Although players can still view ranks by looking at individual profiles if they are public, this requires extra steps.
Others have argued that the removal of rank visibility allowed Blizzard to conceal potential matchmaking issues, suggesting that the developer is clearly prioritizing reduced queue times over balanced matches.
While the return of rank visibility may not be a game-changing feature, it has been a frequent request from the Overwatch 2 community.
The other tweet that elicited a response from Neuss read: “This is going to sound like a rich guy problem but is there any chance we can get any more competitive rewards? Or is this something that’s not getting looked at?”
Another user chimed in, mentioning Neuss’ previous talks about new cosmetics. Neuss’ cryptic response here suggests that the Overwatch 2 team could implement new cosmetics and rewards for ranked play.
The introduction of new cosmetics and rewards for competitive ranked play is something likely to be appreciated by the Overwatch 2 community and follows other recent updates that have garnered praise, such as the introduction of the “Hero Progression” feature.
Hero Progression came bundled with the Invasion update and rewards players with hero emblems and name cards after leveling up individual heroes. The community reacted positively to the update, which now provides more incentives for gameplay and makes defeat “less frustrating.”
Now, Overwatch 2 players can look forward to the potential addition of these two new significant upgrades to competitive play.