This we can agree on.
A true GM should be because they have superior skill, not just because they picked the right hero.
This is why things like balance and PBSR are so important to get right. Simply selecting a hero shouldn’t give you an inherent advantage, and even when you do choose a “good” hero, you should still have to prove you’re legitimately good at the hero and aren’t just being carried.
Now, is this a problem in OW?
Maybe? Kinda sorta? Used to be bad with Mercy or Brig, I think it’s largely sorted out by now, partially because the meta is being played in all tiers, so no individual tier is at a disadvantage.
Not necessarily. Think of it this way:
Say we have someone who is a Mercy one trick, and a really good one at that. They can consistently hold their own in GM and has even been in T500 a few times. Now imagine that person decides to get a new account where they one trick Widow instead. Does this person deserve to go straight to GM on this alt?
Most people would probably say no. While there is some overlap in skills, how they’re applied is completely different, not to mention most would agree that Widow is tougher to play in general.
The ladder works the same way. You might do well in a different game, but at the end of the day this game is its own unique beast to conquer with its own unique challenges, tricks, and community. And with a different community, the bar for “average” is going to be different as well. No one “deserves” a higher rank just because they can stomp 12 year olds in Fortnite or something.
One could argue the first curve is in bronze/silver where casuals just play and sorta do their own thing. The second is in plat, and once you get over that hump into diamond you start being respected as a “good player”.
Thing is, this all happens on the same ladder, so the two curves are foing to clash somewhere in the middle, ie gold. Thats where you’ll have the upper portion of the casuals and the bottom portion of the gamers coming together and “breeding toxicity”. There’s always going to be that conflict between the two curves unless they are 100% distinct and separate (which, admittedly, is what QP is supposed to be for, but we can’t force people into one box or another).
Also, even if there is just one curve, it isn’t low. Gold/Plat is smack dab in the middle of it all, which is where you’d expect the curve to be. That doesn’t change just because you rate yourself higher than everyone else.
How the system works and complaints about it have been largely the same since season 1. People have only been leaving recently due to burnout, something that’s bound to happen when you don’t have any major updates in years. Doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with the game, its just getting old.
And high level play is in the higher levels. Not sure why you’d expect high level play at the average.