Overwatch 2

Play it on: PS4 and 5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows
Current goal: Get the fuck out of gold

Of course I’m playing Overwatch this weekend—I play this game every goddamn day, no matter how much extra stress and frustration it adds to my life. The burning, aching desire to get back to a Platinum rank in the Support role has all but consumed me, along with my desperate need to get better in the other two roles, DPS and Tank. Because of this, I’m never not playing competitive Overwatch, choosing to make every game a high-stakes battle rather than the lighthearted romp you can enjoy in silly Arcade modes or the helpful Quick Play mode, where there are no stakes. Instead, I fire up the competitive queue and wait, a slave to my own hunger for power. I cannot escape the gold shackles that encircle my wrists—mostly because Overwatch 2’s competitive ranking system is still total ass.

My newer quest to become a high-level Zarya (tank) or a hyper-deadly Bastion (DPS) have at least gifted me with some levity in my competitive experiences, but the moment I dip my toe back into the Support role, I feel that nagging sensation in the back of my heart. I hear whispers like there’s a comp Gollum living inside me. “You shouldn’t be in gold,” it hisses. “You were once a globally ranked Moira main.” Aw shit, here we go again. — Alyssa Mercante