Hero Bans Explained

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Summary

  • Overwatch 2 will introduce Competitive Hero Bans in Season 16
  • Each player will choose their preferred hero before a game and vote to ban up to three other characters.
  • The ban process tallies up both teams’ choices and bans up to four heroes.

In the official announcement, it’s been clarified that Competitive Hero Bans will function within Overwatch 2 starting from Season 16. This mechanism will be incorporated across all levels of competitive play upon the arrival of the upcoming Overwatch 2 update, scheduled for April 22.

Lately, they unveiled the launch trailer for Season 16: Stadium in Overwatch 2. This brief video showcased several key aspects arriving with the update, such as the game mode that lends its name to the season, a new damage character named Freja, and the universal introduction of Hero Bans across all tiers of Competitive play.

Currently, details about how the new Hero Ban system in Overwatch 2 functions have been disclosed. In a blog post by senior systems designer Gavin Winter, titled “Director’s Take”, Overwatch 2 outlined the process of Hero Banning. Initially, players can opt to pick a “Preferred Hero” as a sign of their chosen character. Next, each participant will concurrently select three heroes they wish to prohibit, using a ranked choice method to ensure swiftness. Ultimately, all the selections will be totaled up, and up to four heroes – two from each team’s choices, and no more than two from the same role – will be barred.

How Do Hero Bans Work in Overwatch 2?

  • All players optionally choose a Preferred Hero
    • Preferred Heroes are not protected from being banned, nor is one required to play their choice
  • All players choose up to three heroes to ban, with earlier selections carrying more votes
  • Banning process begins
    • Hero with the most votes on either team is banned
    • Top two heroes on the other team are banned
    • First team’s second hero is banned
  • In the case of a duplicate hero, or if two heroes in that role have already been banned, the third hero will be chosen instead
  • Up to four heroes can be banned each game

Each Hero Ban selection carries a unique value: the initial choice earns 7 points, the second choice gets 5 points, and the third option garners 3 points. The hero with the highest overall votes on a particular team will be banned first, followed by the top two heroes of the other team. If there’s a tie for the most votes, then it is resolved in favor of the hero with more points from their selection. In case of a third pick, it’s deployed if the opposing team has already chosen one of its earlier options or if more than two heroes of the same role have already been banned.

If multiple heroes receive an equal number of votes during a tie, the one chosen by the majority is selected. If it remains tied, a random hero will be chosen. Keep in mind that fewer than four Overwatch 2 characters can be targeted for bans if all players choose the same hero, attempt to ban too many heroes of the same role, or abstain entirely. However, most games typically have four banned heroes.

During the ban phase in Overwatch 2 Season 16 starting on April 22, players won’t have visibility of the opposing team. This is done to prevent fans from making hero selections based on their opponents’ preferences, thereby fostering a fair and balanced gameplay experience for everyone involved. Blizzard aims to make this ban system swift, effective, and advantageous for all participants.

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2025-04-19 00:44