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

By Olivia Richman

|

May 4, 2019

Reading time: 1 min

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. 

Recommended

Skyrim fight

Skyrim player kills every possible character and animal, breaks bounty record

In Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, you can get a bounty on your head for a number of wrongdoings and it adds...

By Olivia Richman

|

Nov 28, 2023

The PlayStation 5 and a PlayStation 4 Slim

Surprising gaming stats and facts you didn’t know

Every PS5 comes with bragging rights.

By William Davis

|

Nov 27, 2023