The developers behind the highly successful multiplayer online shooter, Overwatch, has released a new patch that addresses the game's controversial Sudden Death feature.
Interestingly, the patch is supposed to go live across all platforms — PC and consoles — starting July 6, though most of it is actually limited to Windows PC at the moment. PS4 and Xbox One gamers will have to wait for an unspecified amount of time before receiving the updates on their end.
"Please note that many of the changes ... will be rolled into a larger patch for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at a later date," says the announcement.
Nonetheless, the current (and delayed) fix addresses the major concern players have found within the recently released Competitive Play ranked mode, specifically the inclusion of the Sudden Death round in matches wherein both teams have tied scores.
This round was previously limited to the "King of The Hill" (KoTH) map — a map specifically built for the feature — but later on expanded across all maps when Competitive Play launched. A flip of a coin occurs when scores are tied, randomly assigning attacker and defensive roles to each team. Both teams will then have to either defend or claim a specific point on the map under two minutes to determine the winner.
At first glance, the Sudden Death feature seems fair, but when applied, players have found that some maps provide advantages and/or disadvantages for defensive and attacking roles, already dooming one side from the get-go. Overwatch players have been calling this system "inherently unfair" despite a seemingly innocent notion from Blizzard.
"The thought was that the coin flip, while it was a little random, would be balanced so that the chance for the attacker or defender to win would be really close," explains Scott Mercer, principal designer of Overwatch. "But it turns out it wasn't close enough and in some cases wasn't close. We pulled back from that, decided that, hey, for season two we're going to remove Sudden Death and allow for the concept of ties to take place."
This revelation from the developers is certainly good news for fans and bodes well for the game's future to retain its success in the industry. While it may take some time before the feature dies a sudden death itself, Blizzard is, at least, committed to providing fair gameplay for all Overwatch gamers, be it adjusting the game's mechanics or cracking down on the latest abusers — dedication is a proven key, after all.
Time limits (in minutes: seconds) for each sudden-death scenario have been readjusted, in the meantime, as we all wait for Season 2:
- Assault maps: Hanamura - 1:35; Temple of Anubis - 1:30; Volskaya
Industries - 1:35
- Escort: Dorado - 1:30; Route 66 - 1:35; Watchpoint: Gibraltar - 1:35
- Hybrid: King’s Row - 1:30; Numbani - 1:50
- Hollywood: Remains unchanged at 1:45
Full details of the latest patch can be accessed through the Battle.net forums.
