How do placements work in Overwatch 2?

With the launch of Overwatch 2 comes the launch of a new and revamped ranked ladder to climb. Similar to the first game, players can either queue for competitive matches via role queue or open queue.

Role queue requires players to select the role(s) they want to play and requires each player to stick to their assigned role for the whole match. Open queue lets players play competitive matches with open roles, allowing players to switch between roles during any match.

But before you earn a displayable rank in either mode or with any role, you’ll have to do your duty and play your placement matches first to display your first skill tier.

How to play placement matches in Overwatch 2

For anyone who’s played the first Overwatch competitively, the competitive mode in Overwatch 2 should be already unlocked. But new users will have to play through a guided First-Time User Experience, then win 50 Quick Play matches first.

When competitive mode is unlocked, head to either role queue or open queue. For role queue, you should see an expected queue time for each role specifically, and you have the option of queueing for all roles to earn a little extra battle pass progress.

Instead of playing five placement matches without a rank, you’ll receive your first competitive update after your first seven wins or 20 losses. Each role in role queue has its own skill tier, so you’ll have to play a lot of matches to get ranked in each role, as well as a rank in open queue. Returning players should expect their skill tier to be a little lower than where they left off in Overwatch.

Tips and tricks for playing placement matches in Overwatch 2

• Have a stack of at least three if you can. With new heroes, new modes, and all the changes made to returning heroes, there’s a greater likelihood of random players jumping into competitive who are unprepared.
• Use the ping system. Whether you’re playing with randoms or a full stack, the new ping system is so useful for alerting the team to enemy locations with pinpoint accuracy.
• Learn the meta. Unsure which heroes are the best? Check out our heroes tier list.