Overwatch 2 unveils revamped Competitive mode: Skill tiers, SR placements, more

Blizzard has finally unveiled how Competitive is changing in Overwatch 2 with the introduction of new skill tiers and a major adjustment to how placement matches are done.

The original Overwatch’s Competitive mode left quite a lot to be desired, but Blizzard is looking to improve upon the experience with a new and improved ladder structure.

In a new blog post, the developers explained what players can expect from the new Competitive format, indicating that they don’t want losing to be a “purely negative experience.”

From a new SR tier system to a new game report summary, there is quite a lot to delve into with Blizzard’s hero shooter.

Overwatch 2 Skill tiers revealed

Unlike the first game, which featured a numerical SR that fluctuates based on wins or losses, Overwatch 2 is opting for a tiered structure, instead.

As Dexerto first reported, while ranks from Bronze to Grand Master will still exist, they’re now split into five sub-tiers, such as Gold 3, with 5 being the lowest and 1 being the highest.

Tier divisions are designed to operate similarly to SR numbers in the past, with each tier representing 100 SR. However, don’t expect to see your SR change after every match.

Instead, players will now only receive a competitive update after every 7 wins or 20 losses. Blizzard says a “skill progression report each time you get a competitive update” is in the pipeline as an upcoming feature.

How will placement matches work in Overwatch 2?

For returning players from the first game, their rank will be modified post-launch, because Overwatch 2 is still a different environment.

“We applied a formula that gives returning players an opportunity to redefine their rank when they dive into updated Competitive. Most players will find their rank is slightly lower when they start out, as they will be learning new concepts and metas,” they explained.

When players start out, they will be unranked until their first competitive update, which, as aforementioned, is every 7 wins or 20 losses.

Blizzard says that players can expect to start off placed in a lower tier to begin, but will progress the ranks as the season continues.

New Competitive rewards

The highest prize in Overwatch, reaching the Top 500, is coming back in OW2 and will be unlocked after 2 weeks into the season.

To be eligible, players will need to complete 25 games for any given role in Role Queue or 50 games in Open Queue.

The season itself will last as long as each Battle Pass, with a win earning players 10 Competitive points while a draw will earn just three. Those points can once again be spent on golden weapons for heroes and will cost 3,000 points.

However, there are some new prizes this time around. Climbing the ranks can unlock limited Competitive titles for name cards to show off one’s skill.

As Overwatch 2 continues, it will be fun to see what more gets added to ranked play, especially as the devs have indicated they are looking into adding a tournament mode in the future.