Overwatch 2 introduces hero bans: launch on April 22nd

Blizzard has revealed exactly how hero bans will work in Overwatch 2. Players will be able to exclude characters they deem too strong or just plain annoying from matches – regardless of who the opponent chooses. A similar system has long been used in MOBAs, and now it’s making its way to the team-based shooter.

Before a match begins, each player will be able to choose their favorite hero, signaling to the team that that character is not worth banning. Players will then rank the three heroes they’d like to eliminate, from highest priority to least important. Voting takes place simultaneously on both teams, and chat between the parties is temporarily blocked.

• The team with the highest number of votes for one hero is considered the first – the chosen hero is guaranteed to be banned.
• The second team loses two heroes: the two highest priority heroes from their list, unless they overlapped with the first ban. If there are overlaps, the next one on the list is banned.
• Then the second most important target of the first team is also eliminated – under the same conditions.

In a tie, the number of players who voted for a hero is taken into account, not the total number of votes. If there is a further tie, the choice is made at random. Important: A maximum of two heroes per role can be banned in a match. If a player has nothing to ban or is unsure, they can simply skip the vote.

This feature will be part of 16 season of Overwatch 2, along with a new mode «Stadium»: 5 on 5, the ability to spend earned currency on improvements between rounds, and even third-person play.