For anyone who loves the OWL, I found this article that provides some cool viewership numbers for the 2019 season. (If you hate it, too bad, the numbers are positive).
https ://www.esportznetwork.com/overwatch-leagues-season-2-viewership-says-good-things-about-the-league/
I too would like to consume cool numbers.
FYI, you can put links in backticks so they’re easier to copy/paste.
Like so:
https://www.esportznetwork.com/overwatch-leagues-season-2-viewership-says-good-things-about-the-league/
Impossible…this is game is dying remember
For me, personally, the only exciting OWL news would be the game completely moving away from OWL so we can get some real balance. Chasing the OWL has been the worst direction Overwatch has gone in since its inception.
In before “There is no way. Those are inflated numbers!”
I dont have internet can someone say what the link said
I can’t read so I’m afraid I can’t answer your question.
Weird, I feel like the game has been in its most consistently balanced state ever since the end of the Mercy meta. There will always be heroes that are a bit stronger than the rest, but the overall state of balance has been very good IMO.
It’s because OWL bad because pros biased 
honk honk
Op is talking about how the OWL has good viewership, let’s not turn it into another “OWL balance vs Ladder balance” thread again.
OWL this season pulled some good average viewers/time watched tbh.
I think the consensus goes the other direction, but fair enough. I think the game’s by far in its worst state ever, and sadly, the playerbase seems to be at an all-time low. Part of the problem is chasing OWL means problem elements don’t get touched, heroes like Sombra get triple-nerfed when they’re already the unquestionably worst hero in the game, and the game’s development team doesn’t focus on the core issues plaguing Overwatch. Then balance comes at a glacial pace.
If you’re getting that consensus from the forums, you’re probably right.
But Reshi’s right. It’s unlikely we’ll change each other’s mind, so I won’t derail the thread any further.
Happy to discuss it elsewhere, if you’d like!
In my opinion, we cannot compare the current state of the game with previous seasons. 2-2-2 role lock changed the game dramatically, more so than expected.
The long DPS queues are not the product of a smaller player base; they are the product of ladder devolving into 5 DPS comps over the course of 3-years.
If you consider the last two or three season and the rise of “5 DPS in my comp match” posts, it shouldn’t be surprising that DPS queues are long.
As players, we need to evolve with the game, not simply do what we’ve been doing. Long DPS queues are 2-fold:
Firstly, players are queuing as DPS because they have always played DPS or they can finally play DPS without getting hassled.
Secondly, and to your point, game balance must provide and encourage players to choose support and tank roles, which takes time (more than the time role lock has existed).
I don’t think the game is incredibly balanced right now because the meta exists in low elos, which has never really happened before. The meta is typically for high elos or the OWL.
I think we need to be patient and allow the devs the opportunity balance the game. Balance is more probable because of 2-2-2, and that patience starts with looking beyond our own frustrations, acknowledging how drastically the game changed a month ago.
Edit: I will happily discuss any OW or OWL related topic on any post! Discussion is the best!
The numbers are neat. I’ve been reading a lot of studies and opinion pieces about how esports are the future of sports in general and I am starting to believe that.
What do we compare it to, though, if not its own history? Overwatch is at its least fun experience ever. The devs don’t seem to have any clue how to properly balance the game, and in fact keep exacerbating the problems facing it via more and more power creep.
It’s not even the DPS queues. Last I checked, Blizzard has less players across all their games than they previously had in just Overwatch alone. The game’s playerbase has decreased dramatically.
Ultimately, this is a losing battle. If you make tanks like Sigma that do too much, including more damage than most DPS, then you just run into the power creep problems that have ruined the game’s balance. This is an attempt to appeal to DPS players. But a lot of DPS don’t want to play tanks, no matter how you try to make it appeal. Same with healers, even though I personally enjoy playing healer.
Balance comes at such a glacial pace that I am not sure that “patience” is called for–though we don’t have a choice. But the systemic problems with the game have been well-known for a long time. Maybe we should be patient, but then “patience” long ago wore out, because this stuff should have been addressed a long time ago. Especially for this would-be global stage esport.
At this point, there’s no excuse, and many of us are extremely unhappy with the development direction of this game. They haven’t made a right move since Ashe’s inclusion, and even she’s still plagued by some BS like her head hitbox including her entire hat (being bigger than most) and a hitreg issue. Meanwhile, Overwatch team just keeps chasing OWL and refusing to address the systemic problems with the game.
Goats will kill owl LOL yeah ok…
2-2-2 was such a drastic change that OW may as well be an entirely different game.
I feel like this statement is subjective at best.
Power creep was caused by goats. Now that 2-2-2 is here, balance will merely take time.
Considering the OW player count isn’t public, I’m curious as to where you are getting this information. Objectively, OW must be doing well enough to invest into an entirely new medium—The Nintendo Switch. A dead or declining player base would be worth investing into further.
DPS queues will die down overtime, not because the player base is shrinking, though. The tanks and supports who wanted to DPS will find their way back.
A lot of time apparently.
Or it’s a last ditch effort
And completely nullifying the biggest plus of Role Q.
If the devs decide to wait out the queue times, this game will die.