Overwatch 2 players are surprised with the "crazy" range in ranked matches

Following the advent of Season 9 in Overwatch 2, players have realized how poor the SBMM (Skill-Based Matchmaking) is. The new, reworked competitive system that allows one to see the match’s rank range has left players puzzled. Despite the Overwatch 2 developers' promise to deliver a transparent rank distribution system, gamers have reported bad experiences after facing high-skill opponents way above their skill range.

Regarding that, a Reddit user named u/Sunnyzinho-DaBigBoy posted:

'"Match Rank Range" goes crazy'

Subsequently, other Reddit users shared similar experiences and opinions on how the current SBMM affected their in-game ranks.

To learn more about this, read below:

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Overwatch 2 players are having shocking experiences regarding the SBMM in Season 9

"Match Rank Range" goes crazy byu/Sunnyzinho-DaBigBoy inOWConsole

As briefed earlier, one of the key aspects of Season 9 in Overwatch 2 was supposed to be a transparent ranking system. Additionally, it allows players to see the match rank range on the starting screen before entering the main match. In the Reddit post, u/Sunnyzinho-DaBigBoy shared a screenshot showing their match rank range is between Plat 3 and Grandmaster 5.

It means, besides having Platinum players in the lobby, it also consists of high-skilled players up to Grandmaster 5. There is a massive disparity in skills between the two ranks. Players must grind through Diamond and Master rank before entering that Grandmaster elo. Naturally, it’ll be hard for the Plat elo gamers to compete against these Grandmasters.

u/BasidialQuill opined that while finishing their Support placement ranks, they competed in a match between Silver 2 and Diamond 3. Approximately four to five players in their team had a public profile and had the max rank of Platinum 4. Moreover, three members were Diamond either in the past or current season. However, it was a hellish experience for them:

"They had 3 public profiles and were all current or last season diamond. I don't mind a challenge because I know it's the only way to get better, but that was more of a slaughter than a challenge."

Comment byu/Sunnyzinho-DaBigBoy from discussion inOWConsole

Such cases of SBMM adversely affect the progress of most Overwatch beginners. Players residing in the higher elos tend to win most of the team fights and create an obstacle for the low-elo contenders to rise out of their respective elos.

u/spectrum_crimson pondered whether it was because of the stacking. Some higher-elo players are deliberately stacking up with low-elo participants to exploit the matchmaking system and get easy matchups. However, it doesn’t make much sense since developers have introduced the new uphill battle and expected system.

Comment byu/Sunnyzinho-DaBigBoy from discussion inOWConsole

Regarding the current competitive scene, players’ rank will be affected based on their performance in-game. Hence, if a low-elo contender gets carried throughout the match, they’ll get expected. On the other hand, good performances will get rewarded with an uphill battle. That said, low-elo players naturally tend to lose their rank due to a huge gap in in-game ability.

Overwatch 2 players are expecting a better SBMM from the developers. Despite trying to perform well during their match, low-elo players are having a poor experience due to the massive difference between their matchups. Blizzard Entertainment could address this issue by implementing a better matchmaking system to attract more players in the near future.

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