Hero bans are being introduced at the Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup for Overwatch 2 has started and the competition is in full swing. With 16 teams duking out on the international stage for a insane $1,050,000 USD prize pool, each team is more motivated than ever.
Uniquely, the tournament introduces a hero ban mechanic into the matches, which is a brand new concept to Overwatch 2. The community is watching with anticipation to see how effective the hero ban concept is and it's impact on Overwatch 2's biggest tournament.
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EWC introduces Hero Bans in Overwatch 2
Now, the introduction of banning heroes at the EWC for Overwatch 2 is quite the unique premise for Overwatch 2. Although it's not completely unheard of, the idea of banning heroes in competitive Overwatch games has been a topic that has been floating around for quite some time.
With the rising notoriety of Mauga and how the player base is annoyed with him, the bans are welcome. As the less Mauga, the better as the Overwatch 2 community would say.
![Hero bans are being introduced at EWC (Via <a href="https://x.com/OWCEsports/status/1815523246156009761/photo/1">X</a>)](https://admin.esports.gg/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-89-12-1024x1024.jpg)
In short, the banning process and rulings at the Esports World Cup for Overwatch 2 is as follows:
- Each team gets to ban one hero per map
- The ban affects both teams
- Loser of the previous map picks the ban order
- Second team must ban a different role than the first
- Teams can't repeat their own bans, but can repeat bans from the opposing team
- Team lineup selection follows the ban process
Commander X explains the format of EWC's Overwatch 2 tournament in depth.
Despite the simple rules, this is a massive step for competitive Overwatch 2. Or at least the possibility of a massive step. If the game quality between the various teams surpasses expectations due to the implementation of the banning system, there is a chance that it could be implemented in the OWCS.
So, we'll just need to watch EWC and see how the hero bans have an impact on the games.
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