Overwatch Competitive Mode Patch Coming This Week

There's few things more frustrating than enjoying a multiplayer game only to be disconnected partway through. One of those few things might be getting disconnected, reconnecting automatically just a few moments later, but then being punished for that brief moment of internet interruption. That's what Overwatch's competitive mode, which launched last week, is apparently doing: if you get disconnected for even a second and then reconnect, you'll still often receive a loss for the match if your team wins. Thankfully it seems Blizzard are working on the issue.

Without elaborating, game director Jeff Kaplan posted on the Overwatch forums to say that "We have some fixes coming (hopefully) next week." That's this week, now, time fans.

While these sorts of disconnects don't matter as much in regular play, every match of competitive mode affects your current rating as a player and therefore the kinds of other players you get matched against. If you're doing one of your placement matches - which determine your current skill level based on how many of your first ten matches you win - it must be infuriating to get marked down as having lost a game you won just because your internet connection is temperamental. Obviously Blizzard need to do something to discourage people who quit deliberately mid-match, but hopefully they can find a way around punishing people unfairly.

Personally I just got internet at home after a two week absence, and I'm looking forward to playing Overwatch in its non-competitive quick play mode more than anything else. I shall be attempting to dunk a basket.