Overwatch 'Server Browser' Developer Update Video
By Rory Young 04 February 2017
Jeff Kaplan is back with another Overwatch Developer Update video, this time introducing plans for the game’s upcoming custom game server browser feature.
Overwatch‘s game director, Jeff Kaplan, is back with another Developer Update video on an upcoming major feature. The custom game Server Browser will be coming to the Overwatch PTR server soon, a long requested feature within Overwatch‘s community. The Server Browser was announced previously as part of the Blizzard’s year-end recap, which lightly touched on certain plans for 2017. It appears Blizzard is now ready to take the next step.
Kaplan goes into detail regarding just what kind of Server Browser the Overwatch team is planning on implementing in his video. For those familiar with Overwatch, the game currently features several different ways to play. Those modes include competitive play, quick play, as well as the increasingly popular Arcade mode. The addition of a custom game Server Browser will not change Overwatch‘s currently available game modes. It will be provided in addition to what’s already there.
The Server Browser will allow players to create a custom game replete with what Kaplan describes as a large variety of custom options. Other players will be able to search through the Server Browser for custom games set to public within a region, using the Browser’s searching and filtering features. Players will of course be able to create private matches, too. It’s perfect for teams who want to scrimmage or friends who want to goof around. Also of note is that Blizzard is now allowing custom games to earn experience and loot boxes.
As part of the Server Browser announcement, Jeff Kaplan also announced that the “Year of the Rooster” event‘s popularity persuaded the team to add Capture the Flag as a custom game mode. 9 additional maps will also be added to the 3 that were previously made for the mode. They aren’t new maps, merely conversions, but it will add a much needed map diversity to Capture the Flag. Game creators will also be able to adjust several variables, including flag pick-up time and whether or not a team’s flag has to be returned before scoring.
It must be reiterated that Kaplan and the Overwatch team are seemingly going to great lengths to make sure that custom games will have an extremely robust amount of options for game creators to choose from. Each individual character’s abilities can be turned on or off, or alter ability cooldowns. Think Torbjorn hammers-only, or Widowmaker with unlimited grappling hooks, or any other crazy game mode you can think of. It’s not quite StarCraft or Warcraft III custom maps levels of crazy, but it’s a good start.
Overwatch is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The Server Browser feature will be arriving the PTR for testing soon, with a full launch further down the line.
