Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue

X
News

Overwatch Patch Adds New Mode, New Map, And Improves ‘Play Of The Game’ Feature

by Mike Futter on Mar 23, 2016 at 10:34 AM

If you’re in the Overwatch closed beta, you’ve got something new to look forward to for your next play session. Blizzard has added a couple of new things and tweaked one of the game’s most enjoyed features.

At the end of each match, players are treated to a “play of the game.” This is similar to Call of Duty’s last kill, but is instead designed to feature a key highlight from the entire match.

In order to make sure that the best moments are surfaced, Blizzard has revamped what it’s capturing. Short clips will be grabbed in four different categories: High Score, Lifesaver, Sharpshooter, and Shutdown.

These cover multi-kills and fast streaks, digging a teammate out of a tough situation, skill-based kills that include fast movement, long distance, and aerial attacks, and moments where one player cuts another one off before something big happens.

These will be compared by an algorithm so more impactful play is chosen to wrap up the round. There are also more personal moments that Overwatch will hang on to for players. Once you complete at least one match, the game will store up to five highlights from your current session.  

For those that have grown tired of the current maps and modes, you’ll have something new to test out now. There’s a new escort map called Route 66. There are also weekly modes called Weekly Brawl that apply odd rulesets that limit you to a specific character or make you respawn as a different one each time.

Overwatch will be out on May 24 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. For more, check out our most recent preview.

 

Our Take
Blizzard’s extended beta for Overwatch is likely to yield big rewards. Balance is going to be crucial, and making sure the maps and modes in the multiplayer-focused game are enjoyable are also.