Blizzard released a large Overwatch 2 patch on December 9 that overhauled the game’s ranked structure and competitive tools alongside the Winter Wonderland event. The headline change removed the long-standing Top 500 system and introduced the Challenger Tier, a season-long leaderboard framework that uses a new MMR-linked scoring model. Players now earn Challenger points based on their MMR, and streak bonuses reward consistent performance. Entry to the leaderboard requires a Challenger Score between 4000 and 5000 depending on the playlist.
The update added social and streaming integration for verified competitors. Verified players can link their streaming and social profiles to their in-game leaderboard entries, which highlights active competitors and lets fans spectate matches from within the client. Competitive map and hero tuning arrived as part of the patch. Wuxing University debuted as a contest-ready map, while Cassidy received a full rework focused on survivability and versatility for ranked play. Blizzard also pushed a wide set of meta adjustments and balance tweaks intended to reshape the high-level competitive environment.
Players interested in the hero rollout can find additional context about Blizzard’s recent character additions in the site’s coverage of Vendetta, the 45th hero in the game.
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