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Overwatch 2 has proven to be a shockingly popular (so far) follow-up to the 2016 hero shooter that changed the genre. Between Overwatch 2‘s free-to-play status and the game’s incredibly rough launch, though, a lot of people are actually playing the “sequel” for the first time. That also means that a lot of people are suddenly wondering about the game’s bizarre endorsement system.
Simply put, Overwatch 2‘s endorsement system is a way for players to commend and recommend their teammates. At the end of every Overwatch 2 match, you’ll have the option of “endorsing” up to two of your teammates. By endorsing your teammates, you’re essentially complimenting them on their performance. Did you play with the absolute best Widowmaker you’ve ever seen? Did you finally get matched with a teammate who used their microphone to do more than scream at you? Those players (and many more like them) may be worthy of your endorsement.
Just as Overwatch 2 lets you report toxic players, endorsements allow you to reward positive ones. While Overwatch‘s initial endorsement system was largely created as a way to directly encourage positivity rather than simply try to report toxicity, Overwatch 2‘s endorsement system offers a little more incentive to commend great teammates. Specifically, here’s what you need to know about the intricacies and benefits of endorsing other players.
Overwatch 2: What Do Endorsements Actually Do?
On a basic level, Overwatch 2‘s endorsements allow you to tell your teammates “good job” without having to use your microphone or the chat window. It’s there to make people feel good about themselves in a game that can sometimes make people feel pretty bad about their performance (even if they were an ideal teammate). However, endorsements are so much more than a virtual pat on the back.
By endorsing other players, you directly contribute to their “Endorsement Level.” You know that number you see next to your teammates’ post-match profile? That’s their current endorsement level. You can also view other people’s current endorsement level by interacting with them via the game’s social features. If you’re curious about your own endorsement level, you can check it at any time via your career profile menu.
Overwatch 2‘s endorsement levels currently go from “Rank 1” to “Rank 5.” One is the default, and five is the current endorsement level cap. As you receive more endorsements, your endorsement level will go up. Your endorsement level can also go down if you’re reported too many times, if you stop receiving endorsements for a prolonged period of time, or if you leave too many matches too early. It’s not clear how many endorsements it takes to go from one to five, but many “good teammates” will reach that top rank before too long.
Again, Overwatch 2‘s endorsements are primarily designed to help good teammates find each other and to identify and isolate poor teammates. However, Overwatch 2‘s endorsements offer additional, more direct benefits.
Overwatch 2: How Does the Endorsement Level Reward System Work?
Unlike in Overwatch where endorsement and endorsement levels largely existed for social purposes, Overwatch 2‘s endorsements actually directly benefit the players that receive them. Specifically, it allows them to work their way through Overwatch 2‘s new battle pass faster than they would otherwise.
Overwatch 2 will occasionally reward you with extra Battle Pass XP based on your current endorsement level. The exact amount of XP you receive (and when you receive that XP) appears to be somewhat random/chaotic, but the basic idea is pretty simple. The more endorsements you receive, and the higher of an endorsement level you maintain, the more Battle Pass XP you’ll receive from time to time.
Mind you, those endorsement rewards can be pretty substantial. A player that regularly receives maximum endorsement XP bonuses will be able to work their way through the Overwatch 2 battle pass significantly faster than someone who doesn’t play for endorsements. That’s good news for free-to-play Overwatch 2 players as well as those who just want to buy the game’s premium battle pass. It’s also a tremendous benefit for “solo queue” players who don’t have the luxury of ranking up with friends.
While it’s nice to know that the best teammates in Overwatch 2 are now eligible to receive extra rewards, those kinds of social systems can also be easily exploited. Fortunately, Overwatch 2‘s endorsement system features a few safeguards designed to prevent the worst of those exploits.
Overwatch 2: Are There Limits to the Endorsement System?
In order to prevent (or discourage) people from “gaming” Overwatch 2‘s endorsement system, Blizzard has implemented the following safeguards:
1. You can now only award two general teammate endorsements at the end of a match rather than multiple, role-based endorsements.
2. You can only endorse the same player once every 12 hours.
3. You cannot endorse enemy players.
4. You are not allowed to endorse your friends (i.e. players on your friends list).
That last point is already proving to be controversial, but those safeguards seem to be doing their basic jobs. At present, it’s difficult for someone to consistently exploit Overwatch 2‘s endorsement system in order to farm extra Battle Pass XP. People may “troll” with their endorsements on a match-by-match basis, but it’s pretty much impossible for someone to farm endorsements from a handful of players (or their friends). That means that those who deserve endorsements the most are in a pretty good position to receive them.
The point is that you should always endorse players at the end of matches, and you should always play as if you’re trying to receive endorsements. Unless your goal in life is to be “that Overwatch 2 player” that most people hate, there’s really no reason not to make the most out of the game’s endorsement system.