Blizzard Entertainment’s latest patch for Overwatch is now available and not only does it balance several heroes and add Eichenwalde as a new map (with its own Brawl), but it also introduces Competitive Play season 2. The plan was for season 2 to go live on September 6th but it seems Blizzard moved that up.
Competitive Play season 2 brings several changes to the forefront. Sudden Death and Coin Flip have been removed as mechanics. Matches can now end in draws and the skill rating system has been changed to accommodate a 1 to 5000 scale separated by tiers. Even if you lose skill rating points, you won’t be moved down a tier during the season, which at least ensures you don’t play with lesser skilled players and thus get stuck in a downward spiral.
Balance changes for the heroes include nerfs to Genji’s movement and ultimate and Zenyatta’s Discord Orb while Mercy’s healing has been buffed by a decent amount. Check out the full patch notes here for more information.
The latest update is currently live for Xbox One and PC. It should be available on PS4 soon so stay tuned.