COMPETITIVE
Last updated October 6, 2026Map voting and hero bans explained
Before a Competitive match you vote on the map, then on heroes to ban. Here is the whole sequence in about a minute.
The sequence
- Map votingVote for one of three maps, or for Random Map. Votes set the odds.
- RosterHero preferenceYour Preferred Hero counts as -3 votes against a ban.
- Hero ban votingPick three heroes you want banned: worth 7, 5 and 3 votes.
- Bans revealedEveryone sees which heroes are banned for this match.
- Hero selectChoose your hero from the ones that are left.
- MatchLoad into the map and play.
Map voting
You see three maps and a fourth option, Random Map. Random Map never picks one of the three maps on screen. At least two different game modes appear among the three maps. Season 5 treats Escort and Hybrid as the same mode for this choice, so an Escort plus Hybrid pair needs a third mode. Your last two maps played within two hours cannot be offered. Random Map is exempt from these new selection rules. Hybrid and Escort choices show whether you would attack or defend.
- Votes set the odds
- More votes for an option means better odds. It is not a simple majority vote.
- Landslide
- If one option has at least 6 more votes than every other option, it wins straight away and the random roll is skipped. In a standard 5v5 match, 8 votes always do it.
- Private votes
- Votes are not attributed to individual teammates.
Vote for a map you enjoy. There is nothing to overthink, and nobody can see what you picked. Not sure about a map? See the maps guide.
Roster and Preferred Hero
The Roster lets you choose your Top 3 preferred heroes for each role during the pregame screen. Your Preferred Hero is your #1 Roster hero for that role by default.
Your Preferred Hero adds -3 votes during hero ban voting. That makes it less likely to be banned. It does not protect it: the hero can still be banned.
Blizzard patch notes, June 2026Put the hero you most want to play first in your Roster. It helps, and it is worth setting up before you queue.
Hero ban voting
Each player submits three hero ban choices, and the choices are weighted: your first choice is worth 7 votes, your second 5 and your third 3. Normally this produces four standard bans, two for each team, and the standard bans follow the role limit of at most two banned heroes from one role.
Ban votes are weighted by pick order: first choice 7, second 5, third 3.
Blizzard patch notes, June 2026Ban a hero that keeps beating you. Curious which one? Use the Counters tool.
Lobby Ban
There can also be a fifth ban, the Lobby Ban. It combines the votes from both teams and needs:
- at least one vote for that hero from each team,
- 10 votes in total.
A Lobby Ban can go beyond the usual limit of two banned heroes from one role.
The game shows the current rules on screen, and Blizzard can change them between seasons.
Overwatch Counters
Look up a hero and see what works against them.
Common questions
What is Random Map?
A fourth option next to the three maps you can see. If it wins the roll, the game picks a map at random, but never one of the three already on screen.
What is a Landslide?
If one option has at least 6 more votes than every other option, it wins outright and the random roll is skipped. With ten players, 8 votes always do it.
Does the map with the most votes always win?
Not normally. Votes set each option's odds, so more votes means better odds. Only a Landslide is a guaranteed win.
Can my teammates see how I voted?
No. Votes are not attributed to individual teammates during voting.
Does my Preferred Hero stop it from being banned?
No. It counts as -3 votes against a ban, which lowers the chance, but the hero can still be banned.
What is the Lobby Ban?
A possible fifth ban that combines votes from both teams. A hero needs at least one vote from each team and 10 votes in total.