Overwatch 2’s “Wide Group” Feature Causing Long Matchmaking Times
Overwatch 2‘s new “wide group” feature was introduced with the intention of allowing players to group with others at any rank. However, the reality seems to be quite different, as players are experiencing long matchmaking times.
Competitive Wide Groups, which were added in the recent season 10 update, have led to increased queue times for many players. Some have reported waiting for over an hour to find a match. This phenomenon has raised concerns among the player base.
Wide Groups primarily affect players in the Grandmaster and Champion ranks. All players in these skill tiers are automatically considered part of a Wide Group. In contrast, players in lower ranks, ranging from Bronze to Diamond, can avoid the Wide Group effect if their ranks are less than five divisions apart. Master players, on the other hand, are only placed in Wide Groups if their groups are more than three divisions apart.
Regardless of the specifics, one thing is clear – matchmaking times have become a tedious process for many players. For instance, popular Overwatch 2 streamer Aspen shared a screenshot after completing an entire match in the game Dead by Daylight, with an Overwatch 2 queue time of over one hour and eight minutes visible in the background. Another player showcased their victory in Fortnite overlaid on top of a 35-plus minute Overwatch 2 queue.
Blizzard Entertainment had previously warned players about potential longer queue times in a Developer Update video. They mentioned that matchmaking for Wide Groups would be more specific, such as attempting to pair a Platinum tank and a Bronze support player with another Platinum tank and Bronze support player. However, it seems that the current system is not only resulting in longer waits but also imbalanced matches, pitting players against opponents of significantly higher ranks, even if there are players of similar ranks on their own team.
This situation has sparked discontent among players, with some expressing their frustration on Reddit. One user described the experience of playing against a Diamond-ranked player while being in a wide match with a team consisting of Gold and Silver players. They expressed that the game was no longer enjoyable due to the unfair matchmaking.
The question remains whether the Wide Group system is functioning as intended or if there are still some issues that need to be addressed by Blizzard. Players are eagerly waiting for improvements that better suit the player base and offer a more balanced and enjoyable matchmaking experience.
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