The Overwatch PTR has too few players and too many leavers, Jeff Kaplan says

The PTR server has been deserted by the players.
Screengrab via [PlayOverwatch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAOaXSVZVTM)
Recommended Videos

This article is brought to you by StatBanana, the best Overwatch strategy tool.


Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan has revealed why the game’s test servers have become progressively slower recently: There are simply fewer players on them.

He attended a Q&A session for a small committee at a Los Angeles university. There, he answered many questions about game design, but also one about the test servers (PTR), according to an attendee.

Related: Orisa bug makes her fly back to safety after Roadhog hook

He said that the peak of concurrent players in the PTR role queue amounted to 60,000. Out of the 40 million Overwatch players in the world, that’s a very small number.

The other issue is leavers. On the PTR servers, players only want to test out heroes that were impacted by balancing changes or new characters. If they can’t lock in their desired hero before another player, they’ll leave the game. He reportedly didn’t talk about a possible solution to resolve those issues, though.

Among other topics, Kaplan explained his vision and how he likes to design characters. He also said that the calendar of seasonal events would be reworked when Overwatch 2 is released. Since the release of Overwatch in 2016, the calendar hasn’t changed except for some added events.

He didn’t reveal any additional information on Echo, the upcoming hero in Overwatch. A release date has yet to be announced by Blizzard.


Dot Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article Overwatch 2 Venture impressions: A drill-wielding powerhouse of damage and mobility
Venture in Overwatch 2
Read Article Marvel Rivals could easily Thanos snap troubled Overwatch out of existence
Star Lord, Mantis, Storm, and other Marvel Rivals characters jumping out of the skyscraper window
Read Article The best counters for every Overwatch 2 support hero
Mercy Overwatch art
Related Content
Read Article Overwatch 2 Venture impressions: A drill-wielding powerhouse of damage and mobility
Venture in Overwatch 2
Read Article Marvel Rivals could easily Thanos snap troubled Overwatch out of existence
Star Lord, Mantis, Storm, and other Marvel Rivals characters jumping out of the skyscraper window
Read Article The best counters for every Overwatch 2 support hero
Mercy Overwatch art
Author
Eva Martinello
Eva is a Staff Writer from Paris. Her part-time job is charging into walls with Reinhardt. She has been covering League of Legends esports and other titles for six years. She still believes in a Moscow Five comeback. She also fell into the MMO pit and covers FFXIV and Genshin.