The Grandmaster rank in Overwatch represents the pinnacle achievement a player can reach in the ranked version of the game, and while mechanical skill and game knowledge are key, it won’t be enough to reach the summit, according to former Overwatch League coach Jacob “Spilo” Clifton.
The coach discusses the topic in a video posted on May 27, where he talks about the goal of reaching the Grandmaster rank in Overwatch 2 and why many people won’t ever come close to attaining it.
A lot of his presumption comes from first-hand experience coaching players of many skill levels—from future prodigies to the London Spitfire main roster—but he has whittled it down to one factor, something that players simply have or don’t have that will determine if they make it to GM.
Simple enough as it is, it’s the motivation to grind.
So much of Overwatch 2’s skill threshold, like any other game or skill in life, is developed through practice. Habits such as consistency, adaptability, and a capacity to learn are each crucial when improving, and that is no different in Overwatch 2. Yet, one thing that you can’t teach is motivation—a desire to continue working at something over and over to get better at it.
Related: Overwatch fans agree ‘serial quitters’ must be punished with CoD-style toxicity queue
For example, to reach the heights of GM, you need to be able to grind Overwatch 2 for long periods of time, as well as spend time self-reflecting—to review personal gameplay and spot your mistakes. If players try and commit to that, they also need to enjoy the game on some sort of level, because as soon as that motivation is gone, so too is the desire to improve.
“One of the biggest struggles for professional coaches, even teachers in school, is to motivate people within that environment to do what they ought to do, and to enjoy the process,” said Spilo. “When I work with [players], I can’t motivate you to enjoy the game and you’re not going to improve.”
One point Spilo mentions in depth regarding motivation in gaming is external and internal factors; things that will push you and motivate you. For gaming, those external factors aren’t nearly as prevalent.
For other goals, like working out to improve physical health, there are more internal and external factors that motivate people. These factors are dependent on the person and their individual situation, which goes to show why only specific players are able to reach those ranks.
“If you’re not enjoying some aspect of the exercise, and/or if you don’t have a really strong external motivator to get into exercise and take care of yourself, then you’re not going to really do a good job taking care of yourself,” said Spilo.
Related: Overwatch fans agree ‘serial quitters’ must be punished with CoD-style toxicity queue
Esports is a proving ground for not only the most skilled players, but those who can keep motivated, as retirements across all esports usually revolve around a lack of time or passion to practice and compete at such a high level, and not particularly because of age.
Basically, for ranked demons, Spilo believes getting to GM won’t grant much aside from clout and a sense of accomplishment. “There’s nothing really intrinsically valuable about being Grandmaster at Overwatch outside of ‘I got good at something.’ There are so many skills worth more of a person’s time than becoming Grandmaster.”
Getting satisfaction out of the grind and finding purpose along the way is what is necessary to achieve a high rank in both Overwatch 2 and most esports games, on top of honing physical skills and game sense.
