Overwatch 2's Competitive Drives Receive Mixed Reactions from Players

As Overwatch 2 Season 12 comes to a close, the developers at Blizzard introduced a new feature called Competitive Drives, adding a unique twist to the Competitive mode. Although the event was brief, player reactions were mixed regarding its implementation.

Despite the mixed feedback, the negative responses seem more prominent, with many players pointing out various flaws in the mode. Let’s dive into the details and explore the tumultuous reception of Overwatch 2’s latest Competitive Drives feature.

Overwatch 2's Competitive Drives Receive Mixed Reactions from Players

The recently released Competitive Drives feature went live on October 4th. To recap, players could engage in competitive matches to build up a drive meter, unlocking unique rewards each time they filled it and reached a new tier. Losing matches would decrease the current meter, adding extra motivation to secure victories.

Now that this game mode has concluded, Blizzard has received a considerable amount of feedback to sift through for future iterations, and reactions have been mixed, to say the least.

Starting with the positives, one player shared their experience on the Overwatch 2 Subreddit, noting that while their initial matches during the Drives were terrible, things improved as the weekend progressed. "When Drives went live, the match quality, as expected, nosedived, but I hoped it would get better over the weekend. What I didn’t expect was that it would improve so quickly," they stated.

Another player echoed this sentiment: "Same experience. The first day was hell. But by the end of it, I had played more ranked matches than I had in months, and I could feel each of my games improving in quality as time went on."

However, not all responses were positive. Many players expressed dissatisfaction with the experience. "No shade to 80% of the player base, but I am seriously not enjoying having my Comp games filled with Quickplay warriors," one player commented. Another added, "This Comp Drive has been their worst idea in ages. The games are so unbalanced. It was a horrible experience."

A third player criticized the event, saying, "The match quality is worse, the banners are hideous, the event is too short, and the FOMO on the comp points is terrible. Easily the worst event they’ve ever done."

Given these mixed responses, with even the positive comments acknowledging the drop in match quality, it seems Blizzard may need to reconsider the Competitive Drives format. Suggestions include extending the event duration or increasing the drive charge rate to alleviate some of the pressure.

While these are merely suggestions, it's clear that players want the event to return in future seasons without significantly impacting match quality. We hope Blizzard takes note of player feedback and takes their time to perfect the next Competitive Drives event.