‘Overwatch 2’ Tosses Rank Restrictions In New Game Mode

Blizzard Entertainment announced a new game mode in the latest patch notes: Team Queue. In the past, players had to hope that game restrictions did not block a friend from a ranked game lobby. Team Queue is waving goodbye to this. With the annual Summer Games event in full swing, Overwatch 2 is likely to entice curious players to find out what the experience is like.

“We’ve heard your feedback that it’s hard for friends to play together competitively. In our main Competitive Play modes, we restrict the range in skill rating players can have when grouping up,” said Blizzard in a statement. “Grand Master players are capped to only grouping up with just one other player. Playing together with friends is the best way to enjoy Overwatch and we are exploring new ways to get friends together for a fun competitive experience.”

Of course, there are caveats. Team Queue requires you to have a full team of five players. In addition, role selection is limited. Two will play support. Two players elect to handle DPS. The remaining slot falls to the singular tank of the group. However, players do not queue for a specific role. You each choose a role in every match. Pick wisely.

Despite the lifting of the rank restrictions, the block on PC versus console is still in effect. This means that a computer player is still unable to join a team of people on a console.

The full update can be found here.

Team Queue creates a lobby that plays out more like roulette. A team can enter full of grandmasters, or you can encounter a team of fresh, out-of-the-box rookies. It is up to you to assemble your five chosen buddies to enter the fray. Hopefully, with the platform restriction in place, you can pull together a team of your favorite people to play with.

“Here it will take more than just raw mechanical skill to help score a victory—good team coordination and communication will be more important than ever,” said Blizzard.