This could spell trouble: Overwatch coaches and players are stressed by the new changes, which could have a particular impact on pros. Blizzard Entertainment is trying to change the fluidity of professional and public play – but now it looks like pro players could be forced into early retirement. All thanks to the new Hero Pool!

How it works
Coverage of the Overwatch League’s Hero Pools claims that this new change in the professional scene is all well and good, but that’s far from the case. Players and coaches are now working tirelessly on the new ban system that Blizzard Entertainment has implemented and on continuing to stay at the top of the meta.

We’ve taken a look at the full list of changes to Hero Pools as it relates to the pro game, but essentially this is how things will work in the Overwatch League: Starting March 7, one Tank, one Supporter, and two Damage Dealers will no longer be available for selection during matches each weekend.

• Heroes will be randomly selected from a group based on play rates over the last two weeks of Overwatch League matches. Only heroes that are played regularly can be drawn from the next hero pool.
• No hero will be unavailable for two weeks in a row.
• Hero pools will not be used for the Mid– Season Tournament, Play-In Tournament, Playoffs, or Grand Finals. All heroes will be available for those games.
• Teams will be notified of the hero pool approximately one week prior to the games.

The problems

So far, the reactions of coaches and players to this introduced change have been very mixed. Speaking to the Washington Post, Flordia Mayhem head coach Kim “Kuki” Dae-Kuk had this to say:

“I understand what Blizzard was getting at. I understand the fans’ perspective. But my perspective is hell.”
He went on to discuss the work pressure this puts on his team to prepare for the games in the coming weeks. Kim was not the only coach to discuss the change, as several members of the training staff and players now spoke up. It should be noted that the Hero Pool system was only recently introduced to the professional ranks, so there will obviously be teething problems for players and coaches alike.

For pro players, this results in an extremely awkward situation. Many Overwatch League pros, of course, know the heroes and their abilities, but playing them at a professional level is something else entirely. One-trick players (players who can only play one hero or champion very well) are, well, in trouble. First of all, if your hero is banned from the pro game for a week, you only have a certain amount of time to learn another available hero before the game even starts (a few weeks, to be exact). That’s just not enough time for trainers and players! Secondly, it significantly affects the overall flow of the game – so much so that a new meta would pop up every week.

Another major issue is the sheer lack of tanks and support ketegory heroes within Overwatch compared to other classes. Since the bans have already been discussed and previously sent to pro players, players would have to put more practice into their respective areas – just in case a hero they’ve played significantly gets banned. And that, as mentioned earlier, happens completely arbitrarily.

Both players and coaches are likely to burn out if the changes aren’t better tailored to Overwatch League participants. Professional players already work ridiculous hours (including game time) – and if something isn’t done before the start of the next – Season , the workload could get even worse.

Those who want to read even more info on Overwatch: There’s a lot of useful stuff for beginners and advanced players in our tips and tricks section.

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Overwatch

Overwatch is a computer game by Blizzard Entertainment (Diablo 3, World of Warcraft) and a first-person shooter with individual fantasy elements. The game was released in May 2016.

In Overwatch, the player must choose between 21 unique characters, which can be freely selected in a loosely held classification system (offensive and defensive class, support unit and tanks).

A character’s three to four different abilities can be controlled and activated through the mouse and keyboard. The game modes already vary from scoring points to cargo hauling. Team play is required in both modes, as each character takes on a specific role in the battlefield (e.g. heal teammates, provide backup, or secure defensive lines).

The name Overwatch derives itself from a fictional elite military unit that came together when robots tried to subjugate humanity in a near future. Individual characters are associated with this unit in the game, while others oppose it. It is not yet known whether the storyline will continue in multiplayer.

Brawl

Brawl is a game mode in which time-limited rule variations of the well-known modes are drawn. Sometimes completely new game modes are used in Brawls.

Rule variations include, for example, the restriction to certain heroes or classes, changes to the cool-down times or certain cards. New game modes that have been playable so far include a soccer game and a PvE mode.

Usually, Brawls are restarted as Brawl of the Week every Tuesday at 22:00 UTC and are then playable for a week. On certain occasions, such as – Season al events, Brawls may also be playable for a longer or shorter period of time.

The game mode is comparable to the card chaos from Hearthstone and was activated for the first time in the beta phase on March 22, 2016 through a patch.

Actions

• Arcade: More health, shorter skill and ultimate cooldowns, and faster resurrection after death.
• Girl Power: Female heroes only.
• Head’s Up!: McCree, Genji, Hanzo, and Widowmaker. Only head hits count.
• High Noon: High Noon on Route 66, only head hits with McCree count.
• Highly Offensive: Only offensive heroes. Limit is two of the same hero per team.
• Junkenstein’s Revenge: Soldier, Hanzo, Ana, Mc Cree only (1 each). The first co-op PVE mode in Overwatch. Part of the – Season al event Halloween Horror.
• Justice rains from Above: Only Mercy and Pharah playable.
• Moba Watch: Only unique heroes per team. No hero switching allowed.
• Mystery Heroes: Upon death, you will be resurrected as a randomly selected Hero.
• Overly Defensive: Only defensive heroes. Limit is two of the same hero per team.
• Show Your Support: Support Heroes only. The limit is two of the same Hero per team.
• Super Shimada Bros: Welcome to Hanamura. Only Hanzo and Genji are playable. Shorter skill cooldowns, longer ultimate cooldowns.
• Tanks A Lot: Tank heroes only. Limit is two of the same hero per team.
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Only McCree, Reaper and Roadhog playable.
• We’re all Soldiers now: Only Soldier: 76 playable on control cards.
• Lucioball: Lucio only: Soccer mode, 3 vs 3.
• Yeti Hunt: Five meis against a yeti that has the characteristics of Winston.

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