Overwatch 2’s Battle for Olympus event is well underway and lasts until January 19. But while players are enjoying the new super-powered free-for-all mode, some are finding the current event’s cosmetics are costing them kills.
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Battle for Olympus is the latest eventin the multiplayer shooter. Themed around Greek mythology, this event gives a few select heroes godly abilities as well as some event cosmetics. While the event is going through a rocky time, there is a controversy brewing around the Medusa skin for Widowmaker. This is concerning as this skin is only available in the premium currency store, asking players to spend around $20 for the cosmetic. The issue with the skin was pointed out on Twitter by former Overwatch Pro Brian St. Pierre, also known as Kephrii.
The clip shows that the snakes that are part of the headpiece hiss rather loudly, drowning out footsteps while also compromising the player’s position to the enemy team. This is because sound is global in Overwatch, meaning that both teams can hear whatever sound is made in the match. The reason this sound disadvantages players is thatWidowmaker is a sniper class. Her role is to provide support by taking out enemies from a distance while communicating positions with team members.
With the snakes making noise, it can disrupt players' ability to communicate enemy positions while also making their position vulnerable to the enemy team, taking away their combat effectiveness. Many have lamented this issue, calling the skin “pay to lose”, implying that the skin is only a detriment with no redeeming qualities. This is disheartening for players who like to collect skins or find the visual aesthetic of the skin appealing. To be unable to play effectively because of a design oversight will leave this skin collecting dust unlessBlizzardupdates the sound files.
The issue isn’t seemingly universal however as some players say that the sound space in a match is so overwhelmingly loud that most players won’t hear the snakes. This could possibly be the case as active Overwatch games have very little in terms of quiet moments, meaning character quips and gunfire could drown out the snakes. This doesn’t solve the first issue, however, that players cannot hear enemy footsteps when the snakes hiss. The larger question to ask, though is why did the developers at Blizzard think having the snakes hiss was a good idea? Aside from the tactical disadvantage, the sound is rather grating. Blizzard has yet to release a statement on the issue, so we can’t be sure if a fix is actively in development, so we’ll all just have to take the wait and see approach.
