Hi Blizzard Team,
I love the new Hero Progression 2.0 system and the Ascended borders for reaching hero levels 20, 40, and 60. However, I’m disappointed that these borders only show in Hero Select and kill cams, not in the bottom-left hero UI during gameplay like Overwatch 1’s level borders. This feels like a missed opportunity to make the grind feel rewarding for myself during gameplay.
In Overwatch 1, level borders were a constant visual in the HUD, showing our dedication and adding a personal touch to the UI. Ascended borders, as a hero-specific reward, should do the same. Grinding 20–60 hours per hero is a big commitment, similar to earning animated player names in Competitive Drives. Those Drives titles are a badge of honor in the Competitive community, visible in Hero Select and beyond. Ascended borders should feel just as impactful, but limiting them to Hero Select and kill cams—where only enemies see them—reduces their value.
The argument that hiding borders curbs toxicity doesn’t add up. If enemies can see my borders on kill cams, they could still be toxic. While I can’t enjoy my own borders during gameplay, which was a huge part of Overwatch 1’s appeal. Adding Ascended borders to the bottom-left hero UI, with an optional toggle in Options > Gameplay for those who prefer a minimal HUD, would make the grind feel worthwhile and bring back that Overwatch 1 vibe. I also feel this could be done for Drive names helping curve the argument people make that they aren’t a fan of how they look while still allowing them to earn the rewards that come with it, as well the mark provided for completion of each event incase they want to display it in the future if they feel that they like that particular seasons colour scheme.
I know Season 18 has bugs to fix (perks, Workshop offline, etc.) that need to be addressed first, but adding borders to the in-game UI seems like a simple change, given Overwatch 1 already had this feature. I’ve seen similar feedback on Reddit and forums, so I hope you’ll consider this for a future patch. Thanks for the great update, and I’m excited to keep grinding for not only the new borders but also all the loot boxes added along side them.