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Looking for all the competitive changes to Competitive Play in Overwatch 2 Season 9? With the new season of Blizzard’s hero shooter comes the biggest changes to Competitive yet.
With Season 9 just kicking off, it’s a great time to jump back into the world of Overwatch. There’s a new Season 9 Battle Pass to play through, which features tons of new cosmetics like skins. But, when you dive back in, you may notice that Competitive Play has changed. What’s new in Competitive Play in Season 9? We’re here to let you know.
All Competitive changes you need to know in Overwatch 2 Season 9
These are all the major changes that Season 9 brings to Competitive Play in Overwatch 2:
- Competitive Updates after every match
- Placement Matches return
- Everyone’s Skill Rank resets
- New Skill Rank of Champion
- Projectile Size has increased
These changes give players a fresh start to Competitive Play and allow for a more satisfying experience.
Competitive Updates after every match
Blizzard is listening to the fans and bringing Competitive Updates back to being shown at the end of every match. Instead of being updated on your rank after a handful of games, now you’ll receive a Competitive Update after every match.
Modifiers will also be shown along with your rank update, to show why your rank went up or down. These modifiers, such as beating a team that was favored to win, will help players better understand their rank.
Placement Matches return
Instead of starting the season where you already were, Placement Matches are returning to Competitive Play. These Placement Matches will be ten games that allow you to make huge rank advancements by playing well.
Placement Matches will only occur once in the 2024 Competitive season for Overwatch 2. This gives you one opportunity to really prove you belong to a higher rank, so don’t waste it.
Everyone’s Skill Rank resets
To go along with the return of Placement Matches, everyone will be receiving a Skill Rank reset in Season 9. You’ll be without a Skill Rank for the duration of your Placement Matches and will be given one once you complete the matches.
This gives players the chance to climb into higher ranks that they had trouble reaching in previous Competitive Seasons in just ten matches. You’ll be able to see your predicted starting rank after each Placement Match, so you can have an idea of where you’ll be.
New Skill Rank of Champion
No longer is Grandmaster the highest Skill Rank in Overwatch 2. Season 9 is introducing the new highest rank of Champion.
This rank is a step above Grandmaster and is only for the highest-ranking players. Even those in Grandmaster will need to win tons of games to make it to Champion. This is officially the highest rank in all of Overwatch history, so it’s only for the top players in the game.
Projectile size has increased
One of the more controversial changes made to Season 9 Competitive is that the size of all bullets and projectiles has increased. This change is to make aiming easier than ever before.
This change is controversial due to players believing it makes the game too easy. Overwatch has always been a demanding game when it comes to technical skill, making heroes like Hanzo and Widowmaker nearly impossible to play well if you can’t aim correctly.
This change makes them easier to enjoy, as well as gives a significant boost in damage output for tons of heroes.
Along with these changes to Competitive Play come the new Jade Weapons to earn. Starting in Season 9, all your Competitive Points will be converted to Legacy Points, and you’ll earn new Competitive Points for playing in Season 9. These new Competitive Points are how you earn Jade Weapons.
What about Golden weapons?
You don’t need to worry if you didn’t earn enough Competitive Points to buy Golden weapon skins – At the end of a Competitive Season, all Competitive Points earned will be converted to Legacy Points. This is how you can still get enough points to purchase Golden weapons.
That’s everything you need to know about the Competitive Play changes in Season 9 of Overwatch 2. Be sure to check out the Season 9 patch notes so you can know all the details about the changes brought to the game.
Overwatch 2 Season 9 Competitive FAQs
Is everyone’s rank reset in Season 9?
Yes, everyone will have their Skill Rank reset at the beginning of Season 9. You’ll then play Placement Matches to determine your rank.
What is the new rank in Overwatch 2?
The new rank is the Champion Skill Rank. This Skill Rank is a step above Grandmaster.
