Does loser que or low priority exist in Overwatch 2?
April 5, 2024
If you play Overwatch 2 regularly, especially in the competitive mode, you may have heard players talk about concepts like "loser queue" or "low priority". The idea is that the game's matchmaking system deliberately places you in matches with worse teammates if you've been on a losing streak, in order to force a 50% win rate. Some players swear this is happening to them, citing strings of frustrating losses where their teams seem hopelessly outmatched.But is there any truth to these theories? According to Blizzard, the answer is a definitive no. In a recent developer blog post, they explicitly stated: "There are no winner or loser queues in Overwatch. Your current MMR is the only thing the matchmaker takes into consideration when forming your matches. The matchmaker doesn't force a 50% win rate on anyone, nor do we favor certain players over others."MMR, or matchmaking rating, is a behind-the-scenes number that represents your skill level. It goes up when you win and down when you lose. The matchmaker tries to put together games where both teams have a similar average MMR. Your visible competitive rank is separate from MMR - it can lag behind your "true" skill level.So why do loss streaks happen, often right after win streaks? Blizzard says it's because your MMR can become uncalibrated if you go on an extended streak in either direction. The matchmaker responds by moving you into higher or lower skilled lobbies to compensate. If you climbed higher than your "real" skill level during a win streak, you're likely to face tougher opponents and rack up some losses as your MMR adjusts back down. The opposite is true for loss streaks putting you in easier lobbies for a while.It's a common human bias to look for patterns and invent narratives to explain random chance. We remember the times our Genji instalock wouldn't switch and fed all game, but forget about the rounds where the enemy Widowmaker couldn't hit a shot. Bad games feel worse and stick in our memory more than the good ones.If you find yourself stuck in the loser que, check out our duo carry services. And don't forget to look at the discounts we provide for everyone.None of this is to discount the real frustrations of lopsided matches and teammates who seem determined to throw. Overwatch 2's matchmaker is far from perfect, and Blizzard has acknowledged this. In the blog post, they detail some coming changes to competitive mode intended to make matches feel fairer:
Reducing the number of games needed for a rank update, so your visible rank keeps closer pace with your MMR
Trying to match tanks/supports/DPS of similar skill against each other, instead of just balancing team averages
Removing seasonal rank resets so you don't have to prove yourself again from scratch every couple months
Looking into ways to provide more information about your match quality
These are welcome changes, even if they won't eliminate uneven games entirely. By the developers' own admission, matchmaking improvements are an "evergreen" area of focus with no easy fixes. The fast-paced, team-based nature of Overwatch makes it inherently prone to snowbally matches when one side gets an advantage.At the end of the day, the hard truth is that if you're hard stuck at a certain rank, it's probably not because of unfair matchmaking holding you back. There's no shadowy conspiracy to keep you at a 50% win rate. Improvement means being honest with yourself, focusing on your own gameplay, and not getting tilted by the inevitable rough patches. Take a break if losing streaks get to you, but have faith that your rank will correct itself upwards if you keep playing better over time.Wish to learn about us? Visit our About Us page.The matchmaker isn't out to get you, even if it sometimes feels that way. In a game as complex as Overwatch, with wildly different maps and hero combinations each round, no system will ever feel perfect to everyone. Blizzard will keep tweaking things in search of fairer matches, but your own mindset and approach are still the biggest thing you can control. Keep your head up, GGs go next, and may the payload be ever in your favor!
MMR, or matchmaking rating, is a behind-the-scenes number that represents your skill level. It goes up when you win and down when you lose. The matchmaker tries to put together games where both teams have a similar average MMR. Your visible competitive rank is separate from MMR - it can lag behind your "true" skill level.So why do loss streaks happen, often right after win streaks? Blizzard says it's because your MMR can become uncalibrated if you go on an extended streak in either direction. The matchmaker responds by moving you into higher or lower skilled lobbies to compensate. If you climbed higher than your "real" skill level during a win streak, you're likely to face tougher opponents and rack up some losses as your MMR adjusts back down. The opposite is true for loss streaks putting you in easier lobbies for a while.It's a common human bias to look for patterns and invent narratives to explain random chance. We remember the times our Genji instalock wouldn't switch and fed all game, but forget about the rounds where the enemy Widowmaker couldn't hit a shot. Bad games feel worse and stick in our memory more than the good ones.
If you find yourself stuck in the loser que, check out our duo carry services. And don't forget to look at the discounts we provide for everyone.None of this is to discount the real frustrations of lopsided matches and teammates who seem determined to throw. Overwatch 2's matchmaker is far from perfect, and Blizzard has acknowledged this. In the blog post, they detail some coming changes to competitive mode intended to make matches feel fairer:
The matchmaker isn't out to get you, even if it sometimes feels that way. In a game as complex as Overwatch, with wildly different maps and hero combinations each round, no system will ever feel perfect to everyone. Blizzard will keep tweaking things in search of fairer matches, but your own mindset and approach are still the biggest thing you can control. Keep your head up, GGs go next, and may the payload be ever in your favor!
