Overwatch’s role queue is now live

Try out the new matchmaking system during the Role Queue Beta Season.

Promotional art for Tracer as she appears in the original Overwatch.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment
Recommended Videos

This article is brought to you by StatBanana, the best Overwatch strategy tool.


Overwatch’s long-awaited role queue is finally here. Fans of the game can now hop into a competitive match to try out the new matchmaking system with the start of the Role Queue Beta Season today.

Role queue allows players to choose one or more roles they would like to play before entering a game. The matchmaking system then evenly distributes players across their preferred roles, with each team featuring exactly two tanks, two supports, and two damage heroes.

To celebrate the new matchmaking system, Blizzard is kicking off the Role Queue Beta Season. Players will be able to earn competitive points from participating during the two-week mini-season, but permanent competitive standings won’t see any changes until season 18, which begins on Sept. 1.

Related: Sigma is now available on the live Overwatch servers

Before joining a competitive match, players are given the option to choose their preferred role. Each of the three roles displays its own queue time and requires players to complete five placement matches before earning a positional rank.

The Overwatch League implemented its own 2-2-2 lock earlier in the year with the start of stage four. The change has caused a series of upsets with many lower-tiered teams surging to the top of the stage’s standings.

Author
Image of Rachel Samples
Rachel Samples
Managing Editor. In 2018, Rachel graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s in Rhetoric and Writing and first entered the esports industry in the same year. Her favorite games include indies, deckbuilders, and the entire Mass Effect franchise. Need any calibrations?