Overwatch 2 Boasts New Wave Respawn Feature, But Fans Find It Lacking

Season 12 of Overwatch 2 has introduced various exciting changes and additions, including the arrival of new Mythic skins and the debut of Juno, our latest support Hero. Alongside these, more technical updates have been implemented, such as an upgrade to the Avoid system and the introduction of the new Wave Respawn feature.

While Blizzard claims this new feature is making a significant impact on matchmaking overall (pun intended), the fanbase seems less enthusiastic. Let’s dive into the details of the Wave Respawn feature and explore how both Blizzard and the community perceive its impact in-game.

Overwatch 2 Boasts Better Matchmaking Thanks to New Wave Respawn Feature, But Fans Find It Lacking

As we previously mentioned, the new Wave Respawn feature in Overwatch 2 was introduced in Season 12 to reduce the number of one-sided matches by ensuring that respawn times are shorter than the default if another hero has already been eliminated.

I'm happy to report that Wave Respawn has reduced the number of one-sided matches even more than Group Respawn did. Short thread for full explanation.

— Gavin Winter (@WhiteHawke8) August 27, 2024

Here's how it works: the Wave Respawn feature forces players to respawn simultaneously. When the first hero dies, a new Wave begins. Any hero that dies within six seconds of the Wave starting will automatically join it, meaning they’ll respawn alongside the hero who initiated the Wave. Now that this feature has been in players' hands since the start of the season, it seems to be working as intended, according to Blizzard.

Systems designer Gavin Winter shared on X (formerly Twitter) that, "I’m happy to report that Wave Respawn has reduced the number of one-sided matches even more than Group Respawn did." He further explained that "the number of one-sided matches in Quick Play has seen another ~7-8% reduction in total rate since the data we showed in our last Director’s Take."

This is nice and all but i feel like the respawn time is now weird, sometimes i sit there for an eternity waiting to respawn and sometimes im back in no time

— Nix 🕷 (@NixLupus31) August 27, 2024

However, while this system might look effective on paper, many players feel differently in practice. Some have expressed that the feature is disruptive, with one player noting, "This is nice and all, but I feel like the respawn time is now weird. Sometimes I sit there for an eternity waiting to respawn, and sometimes I’m back in no time." Another player agreed, stating, "Wave spawns feel awful."

There are still some issues to work out, much like with the new Clash Mode, which is also facing challenges. The system will likely need more time and adjustments to balance faster spawn times with improved matchmaking. As long as Blizzard listens to both the data and player feedback, Wave Respawn will likely be iterated on and improved over time. With any luck, Season 12 could be the season where it truly shines.