Blizzard will be rolling out its first experimental game mode for Overwatch, Triple Damage, with this Tuesday’s patch.
In Triple Damage mode, the spotlight is shined on the game’s damage-dealers by changing role restrictions so that every team has one tank, three damage dealers, and two support players. It presents an interesting alternative to the game’s current Role Queue system, which ensures an even 2-2-2 team composition.
The 1-3-2 team comp aims to address DPS queue times, something that many Overwatch players have taken issue with since the introduction of Role Queue.
The idea was already suggested by a player in an Overwatch forum post back in January. Overwatch lead designer, Jeffrey Kapan, responded to the post, agreeing that the 1-3-2 comp had the potential to produce the most positive changes.
He also added that experiments with 1-4-1 (one tank, four damage, one support) comps had been tested, but with less convincing results.
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Created exclusively for playtesting purposes, the new experimental cards in Overwatch give players the chance to try out and provide feedback for “radical gameplay changes” that the developers at Blizzard are cooking up for the game.
Unlike the traditional PTR, which is only available on PC, the experimental mode will be available on all platforms. Players can access it through an ‘experimental card’ in the Play menu.
Through the Triple Damage experimental card, the development team will also be tracking how the new comp will affect actual queue times in the game.
Kaplan makes it clear that Overwatch’s experimental modes are “not targeted at bug-fixing or [ironing out] stability [issues].” He also reminds players not to panic, as any changes introduced in the experimental cards are not guaranteed to make it to the live game or on the Public Test Region. It all depends on how well players receive (and later demand) it.
For more on Triple Damage and Overwatch’s new experimental card, hear it straight from game director Jeff Kaplan himself:
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