Overwatch community split over controversial hero ban leaks
Blizzard EntertainmentThe Overwatch community has mixed reactions at the prospect of hero bans, after notorious leaker Metro said the feature was coming in a future update.
Metro, who had leaked details about Overwatch 2 prior to its reveal at BlizzCon 2019, claimed on Twitter that the developers had been working on hero bans “for a while.” He did note, however, that his source was different than the one he had feeding him information about BlizzCon.
Adding to the speculation of hero bans was a very timely tweet by former professional StarCraft player-turned-President of Gaming at The Kraft Group, Chris ‘HuK’ Loranger. On Friday, January 17 – only three days before the hero ban leaks – HuK voiced his support for hero bans.
Blizzard EntertainmentThe Canadian recommended several different ways hero bans could be implemented into Blizzard’s FPS title and stated that the feature would add “strategy and variance” to the game.
Popular YouTuber YourOverwatch voiced his support for hero bans, at least in pro play, but wondered if the same necessity would be applied to standard ranked play.
Full-time streamer Kephri, known for his outrageous Widowmaker play, was also supportive, writing that he hopes hero bans happen so people get even angrier when they lose to him on something other than his main.
Bans in OWL feels like a necessity.
Ranked however is less clear.
Tell me downsides to bans in ranked
(Assume its single ban per team)Go:
— Your Overwatch (@YourOverwatchYT) January 21, 2020
I hope hero bans happen so I can make people mald more when they lose to me & I'm not on my "one trick".https://t.co/G3lpILNrvF
— Brian St. Pierre (@Kephrii) January 21, 2020
However, not everyone was in favor. Overwatch League host Soe Gschwind said that she believes the game would need a bunch more heroes to “reap the benefits and strategic depth such a system brings with it.”
Houston Outlaws DPS Jiri ‘LiNkzr’ Masalin had some mixed thoughts too. He claimed that hero bans could be “fatal” to teams with a locked roster. “Imagine swapping in Widow specialist and you just ban Widow,” he joked.
That said, he was ultimately in favor of bans because the game would be more fun.
I've been reading a lot of interesting takes on hero bans in Overwatch. Good arguments to be made for both camps. My thoughts? I personally think that the game would need a good bunch more heroes to reap the benefits and strategic depth such a system brings with it.
— Soe Gschwind (@Soembie) January 21, 2020
Just a hypothetical
Hero bans after roster has been locked can be so fatal for teams and their strats
Imagine swapping in widow specialist and you just ban widow lol
But i hope these news are true about hero bans coz its gonna be more fun this way
— LiNkzr (@LiNkzrOW) January 20, 2020
It will be interesting to see what happens with hero bans, if they are in face implemented and when. Looking back to role lock, it was added to the Overwatch League before it ever came to the live game, so it’s possible for history to repeat itself.
Hero bans would be as massive of a change to the game as both hero limits and role lock were so we’ll have to wait and see exactly how it plays out.