Aaron Keller, Overwatch 2's game director, has been on a roll lately, sharing his thoughts on the game in a new series called Director's Take, which is a fascinating read.
Keller discusses the ranked meta in Overwatch 2 in the first few weeks of season 3, which is great news for players who enjoy playing support. For both, Brigitte and Zen have the highest win rates, at the other end of the spectrum.
Keller explains that the heroes who have the greatest win rates aren't always the ones who are played the most in most skill levels until Silver and Bronze, when Moira becomes more popular.
Keller points out that Kiriko is so popular despite winning less often, and that Brigitte is almost absent infrequently. What does this mean for the game and the community?
One possible takeaway is that players prefer not to be locked in by a small pool of "best" hero selections. People want to play their favourite heroes, even if they aren't the most powerful. And if most players don't care about the meta, how much should Blizzard care?
Keller acknowledges that other factors may be at play, such as overall team composition or map differences. However, the club "continues to believe that highly skilled players continue to pick certain heroes for good reasons," and is considering further studies.
On any given occasion, it's clear that the Overwatch community is passionate about the game and its heroes. People want every hero to be viable so that their favorites don't go out of style. And based on this data, it might be sufficient.
If you are an Overwatch player, keep playing your favorite characters, and if you aren't, maybe it's time to give the game a try and see what all the fuss is about. You might discover a new favorite hero and assist in reorienting the game in a different direction.
