Blizzard has shared its approach to matchmaking in Overwatch 2, aiming to create fun matches while minimizing wait times. The company believes that fairness is key to a compelling game experience.
Matchmaking Philosophy
The goal of Overwatch 2’s matchmaking system is twofold: creating enjoyable matches and keeping players from waiting too long to play. To achieve the former, Blizzard emphasizes fairness. An ideal match would have each team with a 50% chance of victory, depending on individual player choices and strategies.
To achieve this, Blizzard uses a matchmaking rating (MMR) system that approximates a player’s skill level. The MMR number is not visible to players but acts as a data point on a bell curve, where the center represents zero skill. When two players queue up with similar ratings, the system aims for a full lobby of identical skills. If this isn’t possible, it expands outward to find a balanced match.
Balanced Matches
Mathematically, the best match would include ten players of approximately the same skill level. However, since this is rarely achievable, Blizzard uses various matchmaking systems, such as Role Delta, to ensure balanced matches. Role Delta aims to match individual roles on both teams, making it easier for players to compete with similarly skilled opponents.
Balancing Match Quality and Fairness
Blizzard weighs options against “team-level” fairness (probability of Team 1 beating Team 2) and “player-level” fairness (chances of one team’s player outperforming the other). Role Delta was partially motivated by these assessments, as it noticed that a vastly higher-rated tank could distort win rates.
In Competitive mode, Blizzard ensures that the lowest win rate probability for a team is at least 40%. The company also aims to create lobbies with narrow skill ranges to avoid inconsistencies at the team level. A match with players from different skill tiers can lead to communication and coordination issues.
Stadium Matchmaking
Stadium rank isn’t directly tied to MMR, allowing players to climb ranks by playing more matches. Ranks reset every season, and players gain points as they win games. This system differs significantly from Overwatch’s core modes, where MMR is a fixed number. As a result, Blizzard uses Stadium MMR to assemble matches.
While queue times are still a challenge in Stadium, particularly for high-skill support players, Blizzard is actively working on improving this aspect. The company aims to make matchmaking smarter and reduce the likelihood of low-skilled players competing with high-ranked opponents.
Source: https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24224365/weekly-recall-meet-your-matchmaker