Mystery heroes is an arcade game mode that doesn’t get enough love by the Overwatch community. The game mode plays just like a normal map of Overwatch, with the exception that you have no control over who you play as. Most people are turned off by this mode for that simple reason. They want to select their hero, and better improve their “main” skills. This is why they should be choosing to play mystery heroes. The improvements the mode offers can easily translate to all other modes, as well as competitive.
Forcing You to Improve
Everyone has heroes they don’t particularly enjoy playing. Some love being the offensive catalyst for a team, while others love supporting them. With mystery heroes, you don’t have a choice. If you want to drive your team to victory, you’ll play heroes that you’re not good with. You’ll have to learn how to play them better, or more specifically have to understand their role better. This is incredible information that can translate to better teamwork in other modes. You’re an offensive hero main, but you’ve been stuck rolling supports in mystery heroes. You’re having to change your play to give your team the best chance at winning. You’re starting to learn the best way to position as support and how annoying those who “need healing” but won’t come towards the back-line for it are. Now, when you return to competitive or quick-play, you better understand where and why supports do what they do. This same understanding applies to the various roles of Overwatch’s heroes. You have to learn, you have to adapt, and by doing so your game sense and play can only get better.
A deeper understanding
Knowing each of the individual 26 heroes can be a daunting task. You may have a basic understanding of each of their abilities, but do you understand their mechanics? Being forced to play as one of the 26 throughout each death in mystery heroes builds upon this basic knowledge. You’re granted the abilities, but you have to learn how to implement them to the fullest. This helps build mechanical understanding of each hero. Through this, when playing competitive, you’ll be more pressed to predict how an enemy may use these abilities. More knowledge of a hero helps to better counter the hero. You may have played against countless Tracers, but having to play as her you’ll understand some of the things they do. As a support main, playing offense you’ll better learn the flanking routes. You’ll be more aware of them and how enemy players may utilize them to harass you. The value of learning every intricate move that can be made on a map, of any hero role, is invaluable.
A flex player in the making
We’ve all joined a competitive game where other players have already locked into your preferred role. So you have to try and pick up a win in a role you’re less comfortable with. The beauty of playing mystery heroes often is that you’ll be more experienced in playing other roles. Many professional Overwatch players are starting to embrace the beauty of a “flex” role. Flex means that you have a preferred style, but you’re more than capable of changing that to benefit the team. In fact, you excel at it. Commonly, most of these players are flex supports. This comes in handy when teams want to role with a single support and either utilize another DPS or tank hero to better push for the win. Mystery heroes will help train you on each hero so that you may confidently start calling yourself a flex player, ready to win with any role.
Sweet Sweet Lootboxes
One of the better parts of playing in the arcade game modes every week is the three free lootboxes it gives out. For every three wins, up to three times a week, you’ll receive a lootbox. While that is only three lootboxes, it’s three free lootboxes for just playing the game. You get to improve your ability with every hero, and if you win three times you get a free lootbox thrown in. For seasonal events, like this year’s Lunar New Year, it’s a great way to try and get those special skins. Everyone deserves as many lootboxes as possible during the events, and mystery heroes continues to offer benefits on top of free lootboxes for wins.
While many players will continue to shun the unpredictability of mystery heroes, and how perfect rolls may lend teams a certain advantage, it’s still a great mode to have in the game. Not only will players you play often start to see their skills with every hero improve, but their understanding of the game as well. Mystery heroes is always worth a few games a week to keep some of your lesser played hero skills in line.
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