Do Challenges Count in Custom Games? A Deep Dive
The short answer is generally no. In most popular multiplayer games, challenges do not count in custom games. Custom games are typically designed as sandboxes for players to experiment, practice, or just have fun without affecting their progression or statistics. This is to prevent exploitation and ensure the integrity of the game’s challenge system and overall competitive environment. Let’s break down why this is the case and delve into specific examples across different game titles.
Why Custom Games Don’t Count Towards Challenges
Several reasons explain why developers typically disable challenge progression in custom games:
- Preventing Exploitation: If challenges could be completed in custom games, players could easily create scenarios tailored to quickly and effortlessly complete them. This would devalue the effort required to earn rewards and could negatively impact the game’s economy and balance.
- Maintaining Competitive Integrity: Challenges are often linked to a game’s ranking system or battle pass progression. Allowing custom game completion would undermine the value of these achievements and potentially create an unfair advantage for some players.
- Discouraging Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Players might engage in collusive behavior within custom games, such as boosting each other’s stats or manipulating match outcomes, solely for challenge completion.
- Focus on Genuine Skill and Engagement: By restricting challenge completion to standard matchmaking modes, developers encourage players to engage with the game’s core mechanics and compete against a diverse range of opponents. This ensures that challenge completion reflects genuine skill and consistent performance.
- Testing and Experimentation: Custom games are primarily for testing out strategies, exploring maps, and experimenting with different characters or loadouts without the pressure of ranked play or the impact on challenge progress.
Examples Across Different Games
Let’s look at some examples of how this principle applies in different popular games:
- Overwatch 2: As indicated in your provided article, most challenges in Overwatch 2 cannot be completed in Custom Games or Practice vs AI. This ensures that players earn their rewards through genuine matches against other players. While you can still earn XP in custom games, restrictions apply if using workshop modes/codes.
- Halo Infinite: The article clearly states that challenges in Halo Infinite can only be progressed and completed in matchmaking. Custom games are excluded from challenge progression. However, specific bot matches may count towards certain, but not all challenges.
- League of Legends: Custom games do not count towards champion kill/death/assist ratings or grant any XP. The primary focus is on creating a controlled environment for practice or fun without affecting player progression.
- Dead by Daylight: Custom games do not award Bloodpoints, which are the in-game currency used for character progression. They serve purely as a scoring mechanism within the custom match.
- VALORANT: Riot Games has a policy against smurfing, and they will take action against players who are found to be smurfing. While it does not explicitly say it, this implies that they want the player to not ruin games and keep the game competitive.
Exceptions and Nuances
While the general rule is that challenges don’t count in custom games, there can be exceptions or nuances:
- Specific Game Modes: Some games might have specific custom game modes that do allow limited challenge progression. These are usually explicitly stated in the game’s documentation or patch notes.
- Bot Matches: As seen in the case of Halo Infinite, some challenges might be completable in bot matches, particularly those focused on basic gameplay mechanics or weapon proficiency. However, challenges that require player-vs-player interaction are typically excluded.
- Event-Specific Challenges: During special events, some games might introduce temporary custom game modes that offer limited challenge progression. This is usually done to encourage participation in the event and provide a fun, alternative way to earn rewards.
- Older Titles: In some older games, particularly those without sophisticated challenge systems, it might be possible to exploit custom games for challenge completion. However, this is becoming increasingly rare as developers implement more robust anti-exploitation measures.
The Role of Custom Games
Even though challenges typically don’t count, custom games remain an invaluable part of the gaming experience:
- Practice and Training: Custom games provide a safe and controlled environment to practice new strategies, learn map layouts, and experiment with different characters or loadouts.
- Community Building: Custom games allow players to connect with friends and build communities around shared interests.
- Creative Expression: Many games, like Overwatch and Halo, offer extensive customization options in custom games, allowing players to create unique and engaging game modes.
- Troubleshooting and Testing: Custom games can be used to troubleshoot technical issues, test new settings, and experiment with different hardware configurations.
The Future of Challenges and Custom Games
As games continue to evolve, we might see more integration between challenges and custom games, perhaps with more limited or specialized challenge progression within specific custom game modes. This could provide a way to reward players for their creativity and engagement in custom games without undermining the integrity of the game’s core progression system. As game design evolves, it will be important to consider how challenges can be used to promote Games Learning Society, encouraging players to explore and understand complex game systems. You can learn more about this at GamesLearningSociety.org.
FAQs: Challenges and Custom Games
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the topic:
1. Do custom games in Call of Duty count towards weapon challenges?
Generally, no. Most Call of Duty games do not allow weapon challenges to be completed in custom games to prevent easy stat padding.
2. Can I complete daily challenges in custom games?
In most games, daily challenges cannot be completed in custom games for the same reasons mentioned earlier: preventing exploitation and maintaining fair play.
3. Do custom games affect my rank or MMR?
No, custom games typically do not affect your rank or matchmaking rating (MMR) in any game. These are separate systems designed to track your performance in competitive matchmaking modes.
4. Can I earn battle pass progress in custom games?
No, battle pass progress is usually restricted to standard matchmaking modes to ensure fair progression for all players.
5. Are there any games where challenges do count in custom games?
While rare, some games might have specific custom game modes or limited-time events where challenges can be completed. Always check the game’s official documentation or patch notes for confirmation.
6. Do bot matches count as custom games?
Bot matches are typically considered a form of matchmaking, not custom games, in most titles. Therefore, some challenges may be completable in bot matches, depending on the specific game’s rules.
7. Why do developers prevent challenge completion in custom games?
Developers prevent challenge completion in custom games to prevent exploitation, maintain competitive integrity, discourage unsportsmanlike conduct, and encourage genuine skill-based gameplay.
8. How can I practice for challenges if I can’t complete them in custom games?
Use custom games to practice specific skills or strategies needed to complete challenges in standard matchmaking modes. Focus on improving your aim, map knowledge, and teamwork.
9. Do challenges count in private matches?
The answer depends on the game, but private matches are often treated similarly to custom games, meaning challenges typically do not count.
10. Can I unlock characters or items in custom games?
Unlocking characters or items is usually tied to account progression, which is typically restricted to standard matchmaking modes.
11. Do custom games affect my stats?
No, custom games generally do not affect your overall player statistics in any meaningful way.
12. Are there any exceptions for event challenges in custom games?
Some events may introduce temporary custom game modes that allow for limited event challenge progress. Check the event details for specific information.
13. What’s the point of custom games if they don’t count for anything?
Custom games are valuable for practice, experimentation, community building, and creative expression, even if they don’t directly contribute to challenge progression.
14. Can I use custom games to boost my friends’ stats or challenge progress?
Attempting to boost stats or challenge progress through custom games is generally considered unsportsmanlike conduct and may result in penalties from the game developer.
15. Where can I find more information about challenge rules and custom game limitations?
Refer to the official game documentation, patch notes, and community forums for the most accurate and up-to-date information on challenge rules and custom game limitations.