Benchmob DC recently came out with a pretty interesting article lambasting Blizzard’s Patch decision concerning Contenders Korea’s Grand Finals. While the general idea is hard to argue, I don’t think the article is the best way to have a productive discussion of Patch Philosophy. Furthermore, I think Benchmob misses a good opportunity to use his platform to discuss the some of the other problems associated with it.

If you haven’t already read the article, I would recommend you do so before continuing.

With context in mind, I do think BMDC’s article is a little over-the-top, which I assume was the intention. When limiting the scope of the discussion to only a single grand final, it becomes very easy to propose a counter solution. However, BMDC’s culminating line “One more week. That’s all you had to wait, Blizzard. One more %&#$*^@ week” rubbed me the wrong way.

Unfortunately, like many Overwatch fans, BMDC has fallen victim to the Korean Problem. While Korea Contenders has already made it to the Grand Finals stage, every other Contenders region has not started their playoffs yet. When taking into account this wider view, it becomes clear this patch issue is far more complicated than waiting a single week.

If we were to just install the patch a week later, we would be putting every other region in a terrible spot, where they would have to adjust to two separate patches in the middle of the playoffs. This is terrifying from an audience retention perspective. Imagine having to cast two entirely different patches within two weeks, forcing your casters and analysts to juggle the dual responsibility of analyzing the match and providing explanations on why the cowboy character is now stronger and better than he was last match.

Introducing a new audience to a new patch at the same time as players/casters/talent allows for an organic learning process. Together, we learn what Hammond can do, and viewers aren’t forced to relearn an already complicated game twice.

But Blizzard’s approach towards conveying this patch process has been lacking. As of Monday of this week, Blizzard has not yet made public the patch number for other regions. While I assume the other regions will probably be using the exact same 1.26 patch to keep consistency across broadcasts, this lack of information severely limits desk talent from properly preparing for the matches. Especially since many of these other regions are nowhere near as popular as Korea, this hurts viewership immensely by limiting preparation time.

From a team perspective, having limited time to test more comprehensive changes is obviously a negative, but discussion should be more centered around how Blizzard can better prepare teams for the change over.

PTR scrims have been an issue due to performances issues on the server, as well as the possibility of bugs due to new changes. If Blizzard truly wants to make the transition as smooth as possible, they will have to be more thorough with testing before publishing to the PTR, as well as giving teams a more reliable environment to scrim and play on newer releases before match time.

OWL Playoffs have shown that prep time for a new patch doesn’t necessarily mitigate meta issues and changes. The argument for continuing storylines and plotlines is valid, but skilled casters and talent can build on the storyline of adaptation and versatility. This is seen in how NFL/NBA/MLB announcers deal with trades of established players or signings of new ones. They continue to build on the narrative of the team, rather than focusing on the game itself.

Blizzard is scrambling to put out fires, which can possibly be attributed to the development teams’ need to adjust the game for the general population in real-time and Blizzard’s current task of finding organizations for their announced league expansion. But their assessment and lack of preparation shows a distinct lack of nuance and care for the Path to Pro system, which has been a historically weak part of the esports ecosystem.

It might just be a patch (and it might not affect any of the predicated results), but Blizzard’s treatment of the situation shows the Tier 2 scene still remains an marketing gimmick and nothing more.