Overwatch’s new hero Brigitte will be released today on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The tank-like support won’t be available in Overwatch’s Competitive Play mode, however. She’ll remain disabled from the ranked ladder under season 10, which is at least a month away.
Players have complained about the long lag time from Brigitte’s entrance into Overwatch to her availability in Competitive Play. Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan addressed the feedback in a forum post on March 20.
Related: Brigitte won’t join Overwatch’s Competitive Play mode until season 10
“We’re following this feedback closely,” Kaplan wrote. “We made this change with the best intentions as we frequently heard complaints from players that we were introducing new heroes to Competitive Play too quickly.”
Kaplan added that Blizzard will reevaluate the situation for Overwatch’s next hero after Brigitte’s release. “Thanks for being patient with us,” he added.
New Overwatch heroes are typically left out of the Competitive Play mode for a week or so, as are new maps. But with the launch of Blizzard World, Blizzard began delaying new releases for the entire rest of the season. The idea is to give competitive Overwatch players enough time to practice with and against the new hero, or to learn the nuances of a new map.
Last week, Overwatch principal designer Scott Mercer said the delayed releases of new content will give each season “a stronger identity,” too.
