Controversial Scoreboard Update in Overwatch 2 Sparks Outrage Among Players

The recent update to Overwatch 2's in-game scoreboards has sparked frustration among some players. After the weekly update, certain players noticed a discrepancy in the scoreboard but couldn't pinpoint the issue. It turns out that Blizzard has removed the commas that typically separate large numbers every three digits. This seemingly small change has disrupted the readability for Overwatch 2 players, who are hoping for Blizzard to revert back to the original format.

Although the in-game Overwatch 2 scoreboard doesn't provide an extensive amount of information, players value the insights it offers regarding their teammates' and opponents' performance. The scoreboard includes stats such as Eliminations, Assists, Deaths, Damage, Healing, and Mitigation. The latter three statistics have the potential to reach significant values, with a maximum of five digits. Consequently, in Western countries, a comma would traditionally be placed after the first three digits from the right.

Players have recently become aware that Blizzard made the decision to remove the commas from the scoreboard in a recent update for Overwatch 2. The commas are no longer visible within the scoreboard itself, although they still appear in a player's personal statistics. This change has led to frustration among some players, as evidenced by a popular Reddit post titled, "Blizzard removed commas from the scoreboard and I am very upset about it," which contains numerous negative comments.

The reason behind Blizzard's decision to remove the commas remains uncertain, but Overwatch 2 players have formulated some theories. One possibility is that Blizzard is adopting a region-agnostic format, as other regions already do not use commas. Another theory is that Blizzard is aiming to conserve space on the scoreboard, either for improved clarity or as part of future UI changes. Alternatively, some players speculate that the removal of commas could be a bug in Overwatch 2 that Blizzard will rectify in the next update.

Most players of Overwatch 2 won't be bothered by the alteration. Despite a slight annoyance, the scoreboard remains generally readable and most players are already familiar with the typical numbers displayed. However, there is a valid opposing point that argues the change may negatively affect accessibility. Players with dyslexia or dyscalculia may encounter difficulties with the scoreboard that they didn't have before.

Ultimately, such changes are typically made for complex reasons and are rarely reversed, whether in Overwatch 2 or elsewhere. While accessibility is a concern, it is possible that Blizzard believes the benefits of the change outweigh the drawbacks. Promoting regional uniformity may benefit Overwatch 2 more than rare instances where the feature is not essential for gameplay. Nevertheless, players of Overwatch 2 who are unhappy with the change should definitely voice their concerns to Blizzard, as the team is undoubtedly attentive.

Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.