A Hero Pools will allow a few characters to be disabled in competitive matches each week. Will this work? We’ll have to wait and see …
Taken from Engadget … Many Overwatch players have been hoping for some time that Blizzard would bring in a hero ban system to keep the game from stagnating. The likes of Rainbow Six: Siege, Dota 2 and League of Legends allow players to vote for characters the opposing team can’t use in a given match, but Blizzard isn’t quite taking that approach with Overwatch. It’ll trial a system called Hero Pools, in which a few characters will be disabled in competitive matches each week.
Hero Pools will be in place for at least the next competitive season, which runs for two months starting in early March, and the design team will determine which heroes are available each week. Blizzard hopes Hero Pools will lead to players using a greater range of characters, though you’ll still be able to pick from the full roster in Quick Play and Arcade modes. It’ll also soon spell out how Hero Pools will affect the Overwatch League.
The system might not be a permanent addition — it won’t necessarily last beyond Season 21, depending on how things go. Blizzard might also switch up how often it changes which heroes are blocked, perhaps doing so daily or even on a per match basis.