Overwatch 2 brings competitive gamers together in high-stakes ranked matches. However, this competitive mode is not unlocked right away. There is a specific requirement that must be met first before diving into the most challenging matches.
If you head to the “Play” menu option in the main lobby, you’ll see the option to queue for “Competitive” matches. But when selecting this, you may receive a message stating “unavailable because one or more team members must complete the competitive match challenge”. This blocks access to competitive play.
The Road to Ranked Matches
The reason for this is that if you created a new Overwatch 2 account after the October 4th release date, you need to complete a Guided First User Experience. This involves gaining experience in other match types before competing at the top ranks.
To unlock competitive mode, you must win a total of 50 Quick Play matches. You can track your progress under the “Competition” tab in the Challenges menu. All members of a group, up to five people, must meet this 50-win requirement before grouping up for ranked competitive matches.
The development team implemented this change to help new players prepare for the demands of competitive play. Experienced competitors should not be placed at a disadvantage by less experienced teammates either.
During the competitive unlock process, the player skill levels of new accounts will be analyzed. This optimizes matchmaking so everyone finds fair and enjoyable games. Only accounts created after the October 4th launch date are subject to this competitive challenge. Those who already had competitive access before will retain it in Overwatch 2.
Spending time in Quick Play to gain match experience and naturally improve skills readies players for the pressured, objective-focused nature of competitive play. Once that 50-win milestone is reached by an entire group, the top tier of ranked matches opens up for the most coordinated and skilled competition Overwatch 2 has to offer. Improving together through varied match types is the best way to ultimately take on other top teams.
