What does Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan do on Overwatch hero release day? The same as all of us, really—though he’s a bit more considerate in insta-locking the new hero. When Overwatch’s new tank-like support Brigitte was released on March 20, Kaplan hopped into the game’s live server to play with us little people.
“I had a lot of fun,” Kaplan wrote on the Overwatch forum. “I started off by playing FFA DM (Free-for-All Deathmatch) because I wanted to make sure nothing was wonky with Brigitte and I didn’t want to lock her from someone new having the chance to play in Quick Play.”
Related: Stressed out Overwatch player credits therapy worksheet for happier gameplay experience
He won Deathmatch with Brigitte by seven kills vs. all other Brigitte players and one Hanzo. It’s safe to say that Kaplan has a lot of experience playing Brigitte.
Kaplan headed into Quick Play next, where other players locked in as Brigitte. “Mostly, they tried to play her like a main tank,” Kaplan said. “The funniest thing to me was the Brigitte who kept solo pushing the choke on Hanamura over and over again, spamming ‘I need healing.'”
We probably don’t have to mention it, but she died each time, Kaplan said. “At the end of the match, she ‘complained’ that she had gold in healing and then quit.”
The post from Kaplan was a response to another Overwatch player begging for others to let support and tank mains try out Brigitte. “You assume everyone else must build around you all the time,” Elminster said in the Overwatch forum. “Let those who play front line [and] support play Brigitte.”
Kaplan didn’t have any advice to the woeful player, but did leave things off on a playful note: “They’ll learn.”
What he means is that other players without that tank or support experience will eventually realize that they’re playing Brigitte all wrong. (Maybe that learning experience would be sped up if they tried this stressed out Overwatch player’s therapy worksheet?) Brigitte isn’t a main tank; she’s a healer, and to be successful with her, players will need to balance her tank and support attributes. After all, we’re still just days from her launch.
Like Kaplan said, they’ll learn.
