Overwatch 2 devs admit loser’s queue exists – but they fixed it in May 14 update

Blizzard has admitted in its Patch Notes for Overwatch 2 that loser’s queue does exist, but they’ve taken steps to remove it.

Despite developer pushback, multiplayer game players have claimed that a loser’s queue exists in some form. The matchmaking phenomenon occurs after players lose a ranked matchup as they supposedly get matched up with people with a lower win rate in their next game.

This dooms players to incur another loss and sometimes causes a downward spiral of lost ELO in a losing streak.

In the May 14 Patch Notes for Overwatch 2, Blizzard has seemingly admitted that a loser’s queue does exist via a matchmaking update.

The update said the matchmaker will attempt to avoid placing players on teams that are “statistically calculated to have a lower chance of winning.”

“Loss streaks never feel good. Before each match, we make a prediction about which team will win the game, based on the information we have about the players on both teams… Since most matches will have a team that has a slightly higher chance of winning, placing a player on the team with the higher chance who is currently on a losing streak is aimed at helping them have a fair chance of breaking that streak,” Blizzard said in the notes.

Blizzard

Previously, Blizzard has stated that there are no winner or loser queues in Overwatch 2. The only thing the OW2 matchmaker considers when putting teams together is player MMR, according to a January 2023 developer blog

The blog does, however, touch on player loss streaks and teased the May 14 update matchmaking change by saying Blizzard is “investigating” how to reduce win and loss streaks.

Some OW2 players on social media have pointed out the matchmaking changes in the patch notes and called out the developer for saying loser’s queue isn’t real.

“‘Losers queue isn’t real we promise’ SO WHAT IS THIS THEN BLIZZARD,” one post said with a screenshot of the matchmaking update.

Blizzard has not responded to these posts, or mentioned loser’s queue by name in the notes or in its promotion of the update.