Update: Overwatch fansite Overpwn have datamined the patch outlined below, and have managed to datamine 14 different modifiers for the weekly brawl mode. Among these are mystery heroes where players respawn as a randomly selected hero after they get killed, support hero only matches, offensive hero only matches, and several others where players can only play one specific hero. Check the full datamine here.
Original Story
The Tavern Brawl feature in Hearthstone might be one of the most fun additions to the game in recent memory. This game mode does away with the strict rules you get in the ladder in favor of some wacky modifiers that turn games into a fun little distraction with new and unbalanced cards themed around a certain mechanic. Apparently Blizzard liked that mode so much, they have now added it to the closed beta for their upcoming team-based arena shooter Overwatch.
Each week, Blizzard will implement a different 6v6 weekly brawl to their shooter that feature a set of different and unique rules that switch up the gameplay significantly. For example: sometimes you'll be automatically be assigned a hero to play with, other weeks you're restricted to using one class only. For the purposes of testing new features in the beta, weekly brawls will be daily brawls for the time being, with rulesets being switched out for new ones every day rather than once a week.
We love the Tavern Brawl system in Hearthstone and are excited to bring a similar style of play into Overwatch. However, even though we think Weekly Brawls can add a lot of fun to the game, the feature is still a work in progress and something we consider more of an experiment for now. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy testing the sample Weekly Brawls we’ve set up and look forward to your feedback!
Other new features that have been added to the game in this new patch include a highlights feature, which stores up to 5 of your most recent best plays so you can see them again. You can access these highlights from the game's main menu after you have completed the match containing the plays. There is as of yet no way to export these highlights to a video so if you want to make your own highlight reel you'll have to record it with something like NVIDIA's Shadowplay.
The game's Play of the Game feature, which shows the most impressive plays during a match, has also received a little update. The game will now capture gameplay moments in 4 different categories (High Score, Lifesaver, Sharpshooter and Shutdown). At the end of the match, the game will find the player who had the highest score in any of these categories and will award that player with the Play of the Game.
This is just the start of what we want to achieve with Plays of the Game, but we wanted to get these initial changes into your hands as soon as possible so you can work with us to make the system even better. In the future, we’ll be looking to add new features to the Play of the Game system, too—such as dynamic cameras for playback, as well as more varied categories. So get out there and play and let us know what you think!
Blizzard has also added a completely new map to the pool of available arenas set on the iconic Route 66. Players will be battling amidst the derelict gas stations and strip malls along the oldest highway in America.
Lastly, there are several incentives put in place that are supposed to dissuade people from leaving the game prematurely while rewarding players who play consecutive matches. If you decide to leave the game before its conclusion that match will automatically be considered a loss for you. If you keep leaving matches before they are over, you will receive a penalty to your experience gain that will persist for as long as you leave matches. If you, however, decide to play multiple matches in a row you will be awarded with an experience gain.
For the full patch notes you can go here.
