Much of the first Overwatch’s player base spent a decent chunk of time playing the game’s Competitive mode. Whether you wanted to go pro and consistently improve or you were just curious about where you stood compared to other players, Competitive was a source of joy—and frustration—for many a player. While it was a lot of fun to “sweat” in ranked, as many say, the mode was also plagued with problems, with many players saying the mode made them feel stuck.
In part to combat this feeling, Blizzard Entertainment is including wide-ranging changes to Competitive in the upcoming Overwatch 2. These changes, which the developer is calling Competitive 2.0, aim to help players feel as though they’re improving on a consistent basis. The changes have existing players wondering whether their MMR and rank will transfer from the first game or whether they’ll be starting from a blank slate when the game arrives in early access.
Here’s everything we know about rank and MMR transfer in Overwatch 2.
MMR details in Overwatch 2
Those who participated in Competitive in the first Overwatch won’t be starting with nothing in Overwatch 2. Existing players will have a chance to reinvent their rank when they get started in Competitive 2.0. This should be done by a formula that adjusts players’ rank in the original game to one that’s suitable for Overwatch 2 as well as the changes in meta, hero play, and team compositions that are coming with the new game. They’ll still need to play their placement matches like everyone else, but they may find that the rank they achieve is slightly lower than the one they were used to in the first game.
If you’re someone who hasn’t played Overwatch in a long time, prepare for your rank to take a hit. Players who haven’t picked up the game in a while are generally less skilled than their old rank would seem to show, according to Blizzard. Because of this, those who haven’t played in a while will have a lower MMR, or matchmaking rating, to start with. As they play, their MMR—which is a hidden number—will move up and down more quickly than more recent players’ to help them get back to an accurate rank more quickly.
Numeric skill rating values are being done away with entirely, so you won’t be able to see your SR number in Overwatch 2. Instead, you’ll be placed into a division within each tier. These divisions will further subdivide the usual Bronze to Grand Master tiers into sections that are precise enough to give you an accurate sense of your skill relative to other players but not so minute that you feel as though you aren’t going anywhere when you receive small additions or subtractions to your SR after each match. Your SR from Overwatch will likely have some effect on which division you start in and will allow for upward mobility as you improve.
Players’ ranks aren’t being perfectly preserved in Overwatch 2, but they’re also not being thrown out the window. The development team is hoping that the new system acts as a breath of fresh air for those who’ve been struggling to make it out of one tier for ages as well as those who truly want to put the work in and improve.
Whether you’re an old Grand Master pro or a Bronze rookie, Competitive 2.0 will have something for everyone when Overwatch 2 launches in early access on Oct. 4.
