Blizzard has introduced Deathmatch modes to the Public Test Region of Overwatch, the massively popular multiplayer shooter that previously only focused on team-based mechanics.
The launch of Deathmatch modes on the game's PC-only PTR happens right in the middle of the latest Overwatch event, Summer Games 2017.
Overwatch Deathmatch Mode On PTR
It was once believed that Overwatch Deathmatch modes will never happen, but that was shattered by the latest Overwatch developer update from game director Jeff Kaplan.
In the video, Kaplan stated that with the addition of Arcade, the development team was given a method to launch new game modes without having to add them to the Quick Play and Competitive rotation. As such, the previous stance against Overwatch Deathmatch was reversed.
On the Overwatch PTR, two new modes have been added to the Arcade: Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. In Deathmatch, eight players face off against each other in a free-for-all mode that goes against the cooperative style of all other Overwatch modes so far. Players will look to score 20 points first, with one point awarded for dealing the final blow to an opponent and one point deducted for a death caused by environmental or self-inflicted damage.
Team Deathmatch, meanwhile, incorporates the familiar team-based elements of Overwatch as a six-on-six mode. The first team to rack up 30 kills wins the match, and interestingly, players who are resurrected before they respawn do not add to the kill count of their opponent. This means that Mercy is necessary in Team Deathmatch.
The Deathmatch modes will use modified versions of the maps in the game, and will also introduce a new one named Chateau Guillard. For those following Overwatch lore, the estate used to be the home of Widowmaker and her Overwatch agent husband, before she was kidnapped, turned into a sleeper agent for Talon, and returned to kill her husband in his sleep.
Overwatch Summer Games 2017
The Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes are now available on the Overwatch PTR, so PC players can catch a glimpse on how the new modes fit within the game.
For console players, the wait begins for the final release of the new modes. In the meantime, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One gamers can focus on acquiring the legendary skins offered by the ongoing Summer Games 2017 event, which include Widowmaker in a bikini, McCree posing as a lifeguard, and Soldier: 76 grilling steaks. Players will also be able to once again access Lucioball, and purchase the skins that were offered in last year's version of the event.
