Sorry about the misnomer in the category.
This post is about fundamentally changing the way ladder is played, but without fundamentally changing queue routing, by making ladder matches queue across skill tiers.
Changes:
Multi-Tier Queue would also be facilitated by a new social system, Organizations. Organizations would be Overwatch’s rendition of clans, except they would require a minimum amount of each skill tier player to Legitimate, enabling them to earn in Season points for their organization.
Players at Master or above would need authentication of a mic, and all players would be required to join team chat. This would allow players to be recruited to an Organization from random queue.
The more Organization members you could get in a match together, either by grouping or queue, your Seasonal points would multiply. Seasonal points would be used to purchase any additional heroes that come out after the launch of Overwatch 2.
Summary:
This system would likely fix much of the toxicity issues that plague ladder, by clearly enunciating the difference in skill to create team cohesion. It is easy to think you’re the carry when everyone on your team is gold. That becomes harder if there is a master in your game.
It would also make ladder more fun across all levels with big plays bound to happen every match for both teams, to excite players. This would also serve to establish Overwatch more as a sport than game, making caps and holds more memorable to casual players.
Such changes would also make sense given the lore and thematic values of Overwatch. It’s about people that wouldn’t normally meet from across the world slowly finding people of similar ideologies (or play styles), and banding together to compete against other similar groups. That is what this system is trying to accomplish.
Next, restricting access to the complete hero pool is smart. With the addition of any heroes on Overwatch 2’s launch, the hero cast will reach a number that if any more standard heroes will give the game the same overwhelming feeling to newcomers that League of Legends has obtained.
If you instead make any additional characters instead rewards for the highest earning Organization or at a cost point, it would make the player base earnestly try to connect with one another to win, while also making organizations having a meaningful impact on gameplay. (Personally I would have it be difficult to obtain enough Org points to make it a prestige in-game.)
This system would not be an overnight fix. Behavioral Therapy never is, and that is pretty much what this equates to.
Contacts:
Forum Moderator Note: Personal information edited out.