Lately, there has been a lot of talk about DPS queue times. The conversation had somewhat quieted down with the addition of ‘while-you-wait.’ But Jeff Kaplan’s massive forum post regarding internal testing of a 1-3-2 system brought this issue back to light. While the developers are looking for more permanent solutions, here are some of the best workshop modes to play while waiting to find a competitive game.
For those that want to take this time to warm up, the original practice range has very limited options. Thanks to the Overwatch workshop, players have now been able to add in custom elements that move more unpredictably than the training bots. This new range has Tracer bots, Pharahs flying erratically in the sky, an area to practice cancelling EMPs, and much more. It is perfect for getting dialed in and shaking off the rust before a competitive match.
Image Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment
While practicing mechanics is useful, some may prefer to do so in a mode that is a bit more competitive. This is where these two come in. They both are limited to one character each, getting points for connecting your shots as each successful shot instantly eliminates an enemy. With large lobbies, this can get very hectic but rewards one’s skill in a cutthroat competitive environment. The Overwatch workshop has allowed tweaks to the vanilla versions, like including hard-scope penalties, jump-pads and reveals, to name a few. These will truly prove a competitor’s mettle while warming up for a real match.
Image Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment
Tangentially similar to those above, Doomfist Parkour tests the player’s mechanics and game knowledge as Doomfist. The objective is simple – reach the target using his abilities without touching the ground. Yet this proves much more difficult once in the game. This requires knowledge of ramps, momentum-cancelling, and map design to reach the destination. Even high-level players and streamers like Jeff “Emongg” Anderson and Connor “Avast” Price were struggling in their warm-ups for the Breakable Barriers tournament. This is not for the easily-tilted or faint of heart. But getting these rollouts and understanding how to use the map to one’s advantage will significantly improve their Doomfist play.
For players looking to really change up gameplay, or those who long for the days of playing Halo with friends, this is the perfect mode. Through the Overwatch workshop, someone created a near-perfect replica of the Oddball game mode. For those unfamiliar with Oddball, there is a ball somewhere on the map to pick up. As long as someone on your team holds the ball, you gain points, but the player with it cannot use their abilities. The first team to 100 points wins. This also gives one’s character a scaling damage boost for how long they have held the ball. Additionally, the creator worked on rebalancing some of the guns to feel more like Halo and added in similar power-ups as well. Overall, this makes the mode really feel like a different game and is worth checking out.
Image Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment
What is there to say about this one, really? A classic custom game harking back to “This Is Ilios,” a brawl starring Lucio and Roadhog on the Well of Ilios. The custom game made only Roadhog playable, as players must hook the opposing players into the well while attempting to not get hooked themselves. With the workshop, there have only been a handful of changes. A particularly fun change is that his ultimate will now propel him upward, saving their life if they find themselves plummeting into the Well. While not the most mechanically intensive, this is a game mode guaranteed to be a good time and lead to some laughs. Perfect to get the player’s mind off of their most recent loss and prevent tilting going into the next competitive match.
This new game mode has taken the world of Overwatch by storm. Especially before the recent balance changes, players would complain that sometimes nothing could ever die. So people made an Overwatch workshop mode where everyone dies all the time. The basics are that it is a mystery heroes free-for-all in a tiny section of the map, like one of the side rooms on Paris point B. All players are thrown in with massively increased ultimate charge rates, leading to the most hectic and visually-blinding display on Earth. Similar to 12 Hooks, this is so ridiculous that it can help to alleviate tilt. But despite being quite entertaining in the beginning, this mode can get tiresome after a while, so it would be better suited for shorter queues.
Featured image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.
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