Weekly Recall: Unlock Your Perfect Match with Our Expert Matchmaker

This week, we’re diving into a topic that many Overwatch players think about: matchmaking. It’s all about making your game fun and getting you into matches quickly.

Our main goal is to create enjoyable games. To do that, we focus on fairness. Imagine an ideal match where both teams have a 50% chance of winning. The game’s outcome shouldn’t just depend on luck; it should be about how players strategize and perform. When you feel your choices matter, it makes the game more exciting!

Let’s break down how matchmaking works. Each player has a matchmaking rating (MMR) that reflects their skill level. While you see your MMR as a rank, we view it as a number on a sort of scale. For example, if your MMR is around 2, we’ll try to find players with a similar rating. If we can’t find enough players in that range quickly, we expand the search slightly, aiming for balance.

Now, how do we build the best matches? Ideally, we want ten players of similar skills in one lobby. But we know that’s not always possible, so we use various systems to keep things fair. One method is called Role Delta, which ensures the skill levels of different roles (like tank or damage dealer) are balanced. This helps players compete against others of similar ability, making for a more enjoyable experience.

Creating fair matches isn’t just about team ratings; it’s also about role-specific fairness. If one team has a significantly stronger tank, it can throw off the balance. That’s why we aim for a minimum win probability of 40% for teams in competitive play. Most matches fall between a 45% to 55% win rate range, ensuring a more equal playing ground.

In the past, we’ve tried widening the MMR range to reduce wait times. Unfortunately, this led to less balanced matches. Queue times can be unpredictable, especially when player populations are low. We understand this can be frustrating, and we constantly analyze the trade-offs between match quality and how long you wait.

Now, let’s talk about Stadium mode. This part of the game operates differently. Here, your MMR acts as a guideline rather than a strict ranking system. Each season, ranks reset, and everyone starts at Rookie, earning points based on their performance. This means you can climb the ranks more swiftly than in core modes, where winning and losing directly affects MMR.

Because of its unique setup, matching players in Stadium can be challenging. We can choose to match players based on their Stadium MMR or rank. Right now, we match based on MMR to ensure everyone competes evenly, even if it means a Rookie could find themselves in a game with seasoned players. We’re working on refining this process to create better match experiences.

We’re aware of the long wait times, especially for high-skilled players in support roles, due to fewer players at those levels. Our team is brainstorming solutions to improve matchmaking over time.

Understanding matchmaking helps clarify how the game works. It’s all about balancing fun and fairness while keeping you in the action.

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