Blizzard changes role choice with the arrival of experimental mode in Overwatch

Blizzard has released the ‘Experimental mode’ in Overwatch. With this mode, which is also referred to by the term ‘Experimental card’, the company wants to test new additions to the game. The first, temporary experiment is a mode that overturns the mandatory role choice.

Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan says in an update that the Triple Damage mode will be introduced as part of the Experimental Card. This makes it possible to play rounds in which not two, but three damage-oriented heroes can enter the battlefield. That differs from the Role Queue introduced last year, with which Blizzard introduced a system of two tanks, two damage heroes and two support players. That will now be three damage heroes, two supports and a single tank.

Kaplan explains that the main purpose of this change is to see if it improves the waiting times that players will face if they choose to play a damage hero. The lines to get into a round with such a hero are longer than if a tank or support is chosen. At the same time, Blizzard will also look at whether this has an effect on the waiting times for Quick Play, Competitive and the various Arcade modes.

Another change brought about by the introduction of Triple Damage are changes made exclusively to Triple Damage for the Heroes Roadhog, D.Va, and Zarya. These heroes are known as off-tanks, a role in which they are more or less a backup tank. Since only a single tank becomes available in Triple Damage, the three heroes mentioned are upgraded to act as full tanks. This gives Roadhog a new ability. According to Blizzard’s Michael Heiberg, this would be too strong in the traditional Role Queue distribution, limiting these adjustments to experimental mode.

Blizzard describes the addition of the experimental mode as radical and something the company is not sure about. The mode is different from the separate public test realm, which is mainly intended for detecting bugs. Experimental mode is all about big gameplay changes that the developer would like to get feedback on.