Overwatch 2 has detailed how the matchmaking system works in Season 17. Matchmaking is a fundamental element of competitive games, and Overwatch 2 is no different. Developers are continually working to improve the experience, seeking to deliver more balanced matches.
There is no shortage of initiatives, such as the one that took place in Season 10, when Overwatch 2 decided to mitigate players' losing streaks. With this adjustment, Blizzard began placing players with multiple losses on teams with a higher chance of winning a match. Season 12 introduced Wave Respawn, a feature that respawns players in groups rather than individually. The result was a reduction in one-sided matches in both Quick Play and Competitive Play. Recently, Overwatch 2 once again discussed its matchmaking, giving an overview of its current state.
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PostsBlizzard shared a new Weekly Recall, this time detailing how the game's matchmaking operates in Overwatch 2 Season 17. The system works based on MMR, a number that defines the player's skill and their placement in matches. By default, the game searches for 10 players with the same MMR, but if it cannot find them, it will search for those with the closest rating possible. Additionally, the text revealed the distribution of Overwatch 2 ranks by skill tier, with the three rankings with the most players being Platinum (34.9%), Gold (31.7%), and Diamond (14.9%). On the other hand, less than 0.1% are in Champion, the highest rank in the game.
Overwatch 2 Details How Its Matchmaking Works
CloseThe Weekly Recall also revealed that Overwatch 2 has several systems to ensure balanced matches. One of them is Role Delta, a system that kicks in when finding players with the same MMR is not possible, creating lobbies with the narrowest possible skill range. The devs revealed that they have taken steps to ensure that the absolute lowest win rate probability a team encounters in Overwatch 2 Competitive Play is 40%. Due to the systems to guarantee fair matches, wait times can be unpredictable.
In addition to addressing the core modes, Overwatch 2 talked about matchmaking in Stadium mode. According to the devs, rank is not directly linked to MMR, which instead serves as a “goal” for the player to achieve as they play more matches. Rank and MMR may sometimes not match, resulting in a team with players of different ranks and MMR. Because of that, the devs explain that the basis for matchmaking in Overwatch 2's Stadium is MMR, and that they are continuing to work on improving this aspect of the game mode.
