Mythic plus has too much of a time investment to actually become strong enough to get to the competitive level. In every single other E Sport there are normalized values for each of the players. Mythic plus is dependent on the individual players power level progression in order to make that player capable of completing keys in record times. Furthermore there is no way to compete against other players aside from the single run record tracker. Let me break this down.
Dota 2 has hero values normalized where everyone can expect what each hero does at certain parts of the game with certain items equipped. It has a pick/ban phase where teams can normalize what they want to go up against. It’s a controlled chaos but that front loads the power needed and gives both sides the equal amount of time to gather resources to overcome the other side. League of Legends and many other mobas are the same. It’s a valid esport because it front loads the acquisition of the hero’s.
Overwatch, a blizzard esport game, gives both sides access to the same exact hero’s that have the same exact skills and power. Any balance issue can be countered by the players skills to play the same hero’s better than the other. You cannot grind more AP than the other to unlock another trait then become x% more powerful. That does not exist in Overwatch. It’s a very skill based game. Furthermore every match is created to be completed against another Player or team via a timer or percentage won. Thus the competitive aspect of the game is very much alive and well.
Mythic plus in WoW has a lot that you need to get before you can be considered competitive. People need to farm for their best in slot gear which can take months because gear might have to come from a raid or a specific dungeon boss. People also need to farm for azerite power and essences which throws the balance off more. Not everyone has the same power or ability to do this because everyone has different priorities in life and things they need to get done.
I know Blizzard recognizes this because when they bring players to the MDIs they give the players access to the system that allows for healthy competition. Specifically they give them the access to pick any race, pick certain items and traits, they normalize everyone’s item levels to a specific point, then they give these players the traits + essences and access to whatever classes they want to bring as long as those classes are locked to a specific gear level. In other words Blizzard gives them the tools to create the team these people want to run the dungeon with.
I mean correct me if I am wrong but the MDI standard should be the entire standard for mythic plus. And perhaps mythic plus in such a standard should be its own game outside of WoW so it can actually be an esport where such powerful things are front loaded to the player experience.
This is why Overwatch, Dota, league of legends, etc have so many unknown players that rise up and become famous. It’s because they do not force the players to join a top tier mythic team that will work them like dogs and make them treat the games grind as a job to get access to al these powerful weapons, trinkets, essences, AP etc. The grind is the gaming experience of playing the game.
Mythic plus requires so much out of dungeon farming and has so much balancing issues that I cannot consider it as an esport for the main game. Perhaps it’s esport like in the MDIs but since that is a privilege where only a select few have access to such an environment it’s not a true esport.
I think blizzard should export their MDI setup to a new program and game and just let us play that separately. Where we can pick the classes, the traits, essences, everything and normalize the item level. Then let us run the dungeon in a progressive power and difficulty curve. That would make mythic plus an actual esport that everyone has access to without a grind to get the power. Thus making the content itself the sport, not the grind + the content.