Last year, Blizzard revealed that adding a new mode called Deathmatch would not be possible in “Overwatch.” They explained that it was an oxymoron to the game. Its existence was simply opposed to the game’s primary purpose.
Interestingly, the studio decided to move forward with it. Deathmatch is currently live on the “Overwatch” Public Test Realm. But apparently, it appears to be problematic in one way or another.
Mode is not working at all
According to VG247, the aforementioned mode has become an issue. It is something that the company already predicted before.
First and foremost, the game was not designed to cater such style of play. As explained by the studio in the past, it would completely oppose the title’s gameplay. Most players observed that shoehorning all characters into a Deathmatch environment rendered some of them useless. Let alone the fact that some, if not all, of them failed to be consistent with the “time to kill” theme.
Sure, Deathmatch worked in games that have a similar play with “Overwatch.” These are none other than “Unreal Tournament” and “Quake,” to name a few. However, these titles are not twitch-based shooters. They are more about offering a playing field in which both positioning and accuracy play a huge role. Players have to be better than their opponents to gain success.
They even have to fit their style into a fast-paced, frantic, and nerve-racking environment. None of these are present in Blizzard’s title, so to speak.
Why Deathmatch is not working
It cannot be denied that the mode somehow offers excitement in “Overwatch.” It is a brand new mode after all. But remember: in this game, heroes do not necessarily have to excel in their roles.
They need each other to actually win a match. This is why in Deathmatch, some heroes become redundant in terms of pick. Players will have to go over the same heroes, as they find them more suitable. For instance, the likes of Pharah, Reaper and even Tracer can excel. This goes without saying that Mercy can play a significant position, too.
As for the likes of Lucio, Reinhardt, and Torbjorn, they have become punching bags in “Overwatch” Deathmatch. Heck, some heroes who can somehow triumph in the mode (e.g. Bastion) still struggle. The mode is simply not working for the reason that it does not fit with the game's theme. In fact, Blizzard is fully aware of this. They made it clear last year anyway. But then again, for some reason, they move forward with it. Since it is still on PTR, it is likely that the studio will make a couple of changes prior to making it official. Or worse, the mode will not be launched at all.
