Jeff Kaplan wishes he could retire Total Mayhem from OW Arcade mode

Olivia Richman Published 04/05/2019

Overwatch lead designer Jeff Kaplan is ashamed of his creation. 

A few days ago, one player took to the Overwatch forums to ask, “What does Jeff Kaplan have against Mayhem and No Limits?” 

The Overwatch fan said he usually plays arcade mode to “avoid losing friends in comp.” But he’s noticed that 1v1 Elimination is an arcade option “three to four times in on week” despite his observation that no one plays it. Instead, the gamer wanted to see Total Mayhem or No Limits pop up in Arcade mode more often. 

“Why doesn’t Jeff like Mayhem? Mayhem is the best,” the player concluded. 

Admist all of the ensuing forum debates, Kaplan actually responded to the OP. 

“I am extra critical of it because I literally implemented that mode (I don’t get to do a lot of implementation on the game anymore… and I miss it),” Kaplan said.

According to Blizzard’s vice president, Total Mayhem doesn’t play very well as it currently has a lot of issues. He noted that it should be in the custom games category instead, but he’s been hesitant to make the change because of the mode’s “popularity and legacy.” 

In fact, it was this popularity that made Kaplan upgrade Total Mayhem to Arcade mode in the first place. The Total Mayhem mode acts similarly to Quick Play, except each hero has double their normal health and all ability cooldowns are 75 percent faster than normal. Ultimates also charge 50 percent faster. These modifiers make Total Mayhem a little more chaotic, with many matches getting drawn out extensively.

With the introduction of Workshop mode, Overwatch players may soon be seeing a bit more variety in Arcade mode. Hero Gauntlet is currently available on PTR. 

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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