The Overwatch League 2023 play-ins are over, with all of the groups formally making their manner again house or to Toronto for the playoffs. The happiness that the play-ins groups obtained by grinding their technique to earn a spot is deserved, however a report would possibly make their time in Toronto lots harder.
The OWL 2023 Grand Finals look to be on the Sept. 7 patch, which means that the sport stability that groups practiced on via the season’s finish and play-ins might be shifted, in line with a report from journalist Liz Richardson. Which means that groups who simply accomplished their play-ins, just like the London Spitfire and Boston Rebellion, may have simply round every week to apply a brand new patch earlier than attempting to win an important match of the 12 months.
https://x.com/mizliz_/standing/1703596195619242427?s=20
Heading into the play-ins, followers and analysts alike have been already conscious of the issue that Sept. 7 patch created. One of many testaments of the Overwatch League ever since season two’s GOATS meta drawback was to maintain the competitive gameplay as near ranked as potential, which means that OWL patches would match what gamers at house would have. It was by no means excellent, nevertheless it led to extra range throughout a season, with every stage of a 12 months often having a unique meta to regulate to.
Now, in 2023, the meta shifts have been minor compared to earlier years, although important sufficient to trigger groups to rise and fall. For instance, when Illari was launched, the Toronto Defiant surged from a near-bottom staff to simply barely shedding their likelihood to play dwell in Toronto for the playoffs. On a grander scale, the meta of the Professional-Am appeared to suit the Los Angeles Gladiators very properly, nevertheless it crumbled when the common season started.
So, because the play-ins began, folks began to ask if the Sept. 7 patch can be within the playoffs or not. If the league have been to carry to its testomony of holding the sport at house and OWL matches shut, the Zarya patch would go dwell. However you even have groups grinding for his or her spot in Toronto, who will then have to alter what obtained them there within the first place to compete towards groups who’ve had for much longer to arrange. Particularly for a staff just like the London Spitfire, who’re nonetheless adamant on working Reinhardt, these tank adjustments would possibly tank their possibilities.
It places these groups at an obstacle, however gamers may additionally argue that this particular subject is the price of not enjoying properly sufficient within the common season to routinely qualify to Toronto. Plus, it’s not like this shift will make all Play-In groups worse innately. The Dallas Fuel are the important thing instance of a staff that certified via the Play-In system and has among the best Zarya gamers on the planet, Choi “Hanbin” Han-been, on their roster. It’s exhausting to think about a staff getting worse when one in all their star tank gamers can now play one in all his greatest heroes.
The controversy of this patch isn’t from the quantity of adjustments or the scale of the adjustments themselves. Zarya might be performed much more, however there appear to be maps the place different tanks are nonetheless extra viable, like Sigma on Circuit Royale for instance.
It’s only a matter of getting groups who should fly to Canada to have a great quantity of apply time to really make this a match of who the most effective Overwatch 2 staff is, not simply which one obtained the luckiest. We’ve had too many occasions when the playoffs are on a unique patch than the common season, with the inaugural season because the go-to occasion. Becoming that what could possibly be the ultimate OWL match may have that very same subject.
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