Blizzard have just released a new Workshop feature for Overwatch on the PTR, and players are already using it to create some amazing new game modes.
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The Workshop is a scripting system that allows players to harness some of the development power that Blizzard themselves use to create their own new modes and even prototype new heroes.
Overwatch already had a custom game mode tool, but those modes were limited to adjusting the basic settings of a match. With the Workshop, players can now implement entirely new rules well beyond what was previously possible.
The Workshop was released to the PTR on April 24, and players have wasted no time in coming up with new modes, some taking inspiration from other games while others are new ideas.
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Here’s a look at some of the most interesting new modes that have already been created. Share codes have been included where possible so that you can try them out for yourself.
Super Smash Bros: Overwatch
What if Overwatch was a fighting game? This custom mode takes inspiration from a fighting classic, Super Smash Bros, to fundamentally change how players battle in Overwatch.
Just like in Smash, in this mode heroes don’t have a health pool. Instead, as the get hit, their damage number goes up. The higher the number, the further the player will be knocked back when they’re hit, with the goal being to knock opponents off of the map.
Share code: 2SQKT
Gun Game
An FPS classic mode, Gun Game has appeared in all manner of shooters dating back to the earliest versions of Counter-Strike.
The premise is simple – each kill unlocks a new weapon, and the first player to work their way through all of the available weapons wins. In Overwatch, this means picking up an elimination with every hero, although in this specific version some heroes have limitations to ensure appropriate difficulty as the game progresses.
Share code: 7DC42
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Bullet Time
If you really want to feel like a hero while playing Overwatch, there might be nothing better than adding cinematic “Bullet Time”.
In this custom mode, scoping in results in the game switching to slow motion for those dramatic action moments. For those that want to live out their Matrix fantasies in Overwatch, this is the perfect game mode.
Share code: Unfortunately, the creator hasn’t given a share code at this time.
Emotewatch
This is your chance to literally flex on your opponents, as in this game mode emotes are lethal to any enemies around you. Whether you shrug, sit, or dance them to death, this mode is largely about attempting to succeed in style.
Share code: 0V9FF
MOBAwatch
Overwatch takes some cues from MOBA’s like League of Legends and DotA in its use of unique heroes with powerful abilities, which differentiate Overwatch from more traditional first-person shooters like Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, and Battlefield.
With the Workshop, however, it’s possible to really lean into this more MOBA-like element to the game by adjusting the point of view, removing the first-person aspect and instead going to a third-person, top-down perspective.
Share code: Unfortunately, the creator hasn’t given a share code at this time.
With so many epic custom games having been made just within the first 24 hours of the Workshop being on the PTR, the possibilities for when the full player-base gets more time with the feature are very exciting.
