Summer Games 2017 launch led to queues, wait times, Lucioball bugs

The Summer Games was the first Overwatch event, and today it debuted for the second time. Not only did players have access to last year’s cosmetics (a tantalizing treat for players who couldn’t purchase goods with credits the first time around), but they also had the opportunity to get a whole new host of skins.

Add in a new, revamped Lucioball mode, and it seems that the demand for Overwatch exceeded the supply of the servers.

Players on both PS4 and Xbox found themselves encountering long queue times and difficulty connecting to Lucioball games. PC players also encountered their own bugs and mishaps, leading to the /r/Overwatch mods on reddit putting up an announcement.

The reported issues listed in the post were definitely difficult bugs:

• Players are unable to queue for Copa Lucioball at all.
• Players that are able to queue get stuck on "Searching" and the game will not allow them to leave the queue.
• Wins are not counting and not rewarding CP.
• Players are unable to leave groups or kick players.
• The ball likes to disappear for no reason.
• The ball sometimes falls through the map, leading to an indefinite overtime.
• Uneven teams bug (5 v 1 & 2 v 4 instead of 3 v 3).

Blizzard Entertainment

Some Lucios, wishing only to play Lucioball, found themselves caught in an endless purgatory that cycled players. Others were unable to make the incredible comeback that would have won them the game, due to not having a ball on the court with which they could score. Blizzard continued to update players throughout the evening, posting updates assuring players that their team was on the case.

It turns out that Overwatch fans were, in fact, incredibly jazzed to get their hands back on Lucioball. Fans took to Twitter to share their dismay, and in some cases, anger that they couldn’t get into the game.

This is not the first time the Summer Games festivities were interrupted by technical difficulties. In 2016, players could spam the hero select bug to select non-Lucio heroes, who could storm the field and murder other Lucios in an unsportsmanlike fashion.

The issues ended up leaking over into the regular queue modes, leading to players being dropped from games, or failing to receive competitive points after a win.

Blizzard kept at the issue, and most complications seem to be largely solved. The Summer Games launch stands as a sobering reminder that Overwatch can still be surprised by the enthusiasm of their fanbase, and a few flaws in their infrastructure.