Almost a year later, Overwatch 2 still has a back-filling problem

Overwatch 2 has seen its ups and downs since its release back in October 2022. The 5v5 multiplayer hero-shooter builds upon the beloved 2016 original in many ways. At the same time, many changes have been met with scrutiny and a thumbs down from fans. These include the 5v5 format itself, hero balancing, and more. But none is more ergregious than the matchmaking system.

The game has been lambasted for its shoddy matchmaking. Users are tired of being dropped into a series of games where they either steamroll other players or get dominated instead. While that is problematic enough, it is worsened due to the poor back-filling system.

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What does back-filling mean in Overwatch 2?

Overwatch 2 - Leavers and backfilling by u/Ururz in Overwatch

This phenomenon is primarily seen in Overwatch 2's Unranked play. Often times players will have some team members leaving the match. Whether this is due to ragequitting or poor internet connectivity, it's irrelevant. The end result is a lopsided battle with missing players. Going 3v5 against a full-man squad makes the game unfair and unbalanced.

To avoid this, developer Blizzard routes players searching for lobbies into these ongoing battles. In short, back-filling is the term for filling empty player slots with new players. Unfortunately, there seems to be no restriction as to how much of this mechanic is reigned in.

More often than not, I have been dropped in matches within the last stretch. This can be anywhere from the final three minutes to 30 seconds. Usually, it is impossible to turn things around at that point. Sometimes, I have geared up for a match only to be greeted with the Defeat screen. It is baffling as to why this is still a thing.

Yes, it is important to backfill teams, but a line needs to be drawn somewhere. Perhaps drop players mid-way at most so they have some chance for making a comeback. Or make back-filling optional as a toggle from the Options menu so those who wish to avoid it altogether, can. Penalizing gamers who leave far too often with reduced Battle Pass XP gains could work too.

At the very least, such unfair scenarios should not affect players' winrates. Regardless, there hasn't been much change, if any, from Blizzard on this end; but there's more. The latest Season 5 brings a new wave of fantasy-themed goodness to Overwatch 2. Making matters worse however, a new influx of AI bots during matchmaking makes this experience even more infuriating.

Players will occasionally see others with fantasy names (like Lavatank). It is easy to pick them out as their profiles have the standard Overwatch logo and also act, well, like a bot would. This means predictable movements or just outright baffling decisions, like walking straight into enemy fire without reacting back. This is likely a measure to tackle back-filling but the end result is no better.

A wild bot has appeared - my first encounter with a full team of bots in comp plat/dia match! Why tho? by u/Project_Prism in Overwatch

I remember being placed in an Unranked match with all four other Tank team members being AI-controlled bots. A couple of them "walked" straight past the enemy, oblivious to their barrage of gunfire. It also seems to be a problem in competitive play as evidenced by the above hilarous thread made on Reddit. Now, the studio has outlined an extensive roadmap for Overwatch 2 in 2023 and beyond.

This includes new maps, heroes, many changes, and more. But will back-filling adjustments be one of them? Since the developer has not done anything about it yet, it is hard to be hopeful. Instead it has gotten itself in hot water with recent decisions. Regardless, the game's future seems uncertain if things continue as is.

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Overwatch 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S platforms.