RELATED: What an Overwatch esports broadcast looks like to a first-time viewer

Jeff Kaplan took to YouTube again with a developer update focused on esports and addressing the less-than-perfect viewer experience. These improvements will be first seen during the finals at BlizzCon and represent a complete overhaul of the viewing experience.

These improvements include:


Team uniforms and team palleting

In game. this will help viewers identify players and teams and, as Jeff says in the developer update, "Will just look awesome". This includes dark and light palettes for each team, representing away and home teams. These colors also influence the heroes explosion and projectile colors, making it as easy as possible for viewers to understand what is going on


Top-down map

There will also be a top-down interactive map for observers that lets them see all of the action at once. This allows them to see every player on either team and where they are at all times, including ultimate timers and whether or not a hero is stunned or frozen. This 2d overlay will also be available for broadcasters to show to the audience during a match.

Third person smart camera

The third person smart camera automatically follows the action when viewing in the third person and smooths out all action instead of the jerky tendency of humans. This will help the observers and, of course, translate to an easier viewing experience.


Kill-feed replays

On top of all of this, broadcasters will be able to select replays from the kill-feed, allowing them to create instant replay moments for any kill that they want. These type of improvements will allow viewers to bask in the awesome moments of professional play that would sometimes get lost in the match.


Less human error in tournaments

Jeff went on to explain about the automated improvements to the tournament system to "preserve the integrity of the competitive state" and reduce the possibility of human error. This will make it easier for players to join a lobby and recover from a disconnect, all things that will improve the viewer experience.

 
It's a comfort to hear Kaplan explain the multiple improvements to the Overwatch viewing experience, as it was the biggest thing holding back tournament broadcast from easily capturing the casual audience. With these changes slated for Blizzcon 2017, it's hard not to get excited for what is in store.