Blizzard has plenty of work ahead with Overwatch 2. From its new heroes and 5v5 matches to Push mode – Blizzard is sure to have their hands full with this release. Discover the best info about Overwatch 3v3.
Overwatch 2 has been given an electric shock to bring it back from its previous stagnation, including changes to Roadhog and Zarya characters that aim to maintain momentum in the future. This update looks set to do exactly that!
1. Roadhog Update
Overwatch 2’s most recent update was released recently, and one of its key components included buffing Roadhog as part of this revamp – making him easier to kill while simultaneously making him more dangerous for people trying to circumnavigate him.
Overwatch’s Lead Hero Designer, Alec Dawson, teased the changes on Twitter with an allusion to Lord of the Rings, signaling major revisions of Doomfist’s kit. Primary and secondary fire from scrap guns have been combined into one shot that still does its maximum damage at close range but can now also be used at longer ranges. Furthermore, his self-healing ability, Take a Breather, now uses a resource meter rather than being an immediate one-use ability that must be recharged over time.
Other fundamental changes include increasing Chain Hook damage by 25% and decreasing its capacity to pull enemy players into traps by 40%. Furthermore, Pig Pen has now gained the ability to create lures that slow enemy movement speed by 40% while simultaneously dealing 30 damage per second in an area.
Blizzard’s patch notes for this update state its goal as improving Roadhog’s ability to protect teammates and control space while remaining true to his core identity and playstyle. According to their analysis, these changes help address concerns that Roadhog is less viable in Overwatch’s 5v5 setup compared with tanks like Junkrat or D.Va.
As well as revamping Roadhog, the November 14 update also introduces minor quality-of-life bug fixes for Zarya, Sombra, and Lifeweaver – more subtle but essential adjustments that should lead to a smoother gameplay experience for anyone who favors these heroes. You can read all about them in our patch notes here.
2. Zarya Update
Overwatch’s most beloved support hero is getting an additional upgrade with a slight tweak to her Projected Barrier allied barrier. In the latest patch, this ability has seen its cooldown decrease and HP increase; additionally, it now comes equipped with a charge ability.
Though it seems minor, this change could help make Zarya a practical pick in the current meta. Blizzard details in its patch notes: feedback indicated that Zarya’s barriers depend too heavily on timing to prevent burst damage from hitting her; hence this change; whenever Zarya activates one of her barriers, she gains knockback from any attack that penetrates it, such as Pharah’s concussive blasts or Winston’s RIP-Tire attacks piercing through them.
The update also alters how Cassidy can activate her barrier, now enabling her to do so while in motion or movement. This can help her quickly avoid enemies or block damage while on the move – something that is particularly useful during specific scenarios. Keep in mind, however, that activating it this way has its own set of effects and limitations. For example, Junkrat’s Steel Trap or Cassidy’s Graviton Surge attacks could still breach it and protect her directly.
As for her other abilities, they remain relatively unchanged; Fusion Cannon damage has been reduced slightly, and Booster impact damage has been reduced a touch. Meanwhile, her duplicate ability now cleanses Zarya of her barrier in two seconds instead of 2.5.
As part of Season 7, developers have implemented several changes to the game in preparation. Buffs given to heroes like Orisa and Baptiste, such as lower power levels for self-healing abilities like Orisa’s, have been reduced slightly; for example, her self-healing now takes longer before starting up again.
Brigitte has seen her self-healing increase while Moira’s Biotic Energy restores more health to her teammates than before, according to Blizzard’s statement. These changes allow teams of three damage dealers and two supports to play effectively while also decreasing wait times when queuing up DPS players.
3. Sombra Update
Sombra mains will no doubt be disappointed to hear this, but one of her abilities will be receiving an overhaul in the upcoming season. This change comes alongside a Diablo crossover event and could alter Sombra’s power level considerably.
Sombra’s stealth will no longer grant her immunity from damage or reduce adverse effects such as health loss and ultimate charge regeneration, nor allow her to contest map objectives while stolen.
Sombra will also gain access to a powerful new ability called EMP, which disburses electromagnetic energy in a large radius, damaging shields and health while hacking enemies caught within its path. Similar to her old disabler ability, this one may prove even more helpful during combat as it can remove enemy buffs like Zarya’s bubble and destroy barriers like Mei’s Ice Wall and Winston’s Barrier Projector.
Sombra’s other ability kit will also be receiving an upgrade, with her translocator no longer needing to be placed on the map and instead instantly transporting her back where she threw it – an enhancement designed to facilitate more maneuverability on Sombra’s part and help her avoid enemy abilities more quickly.
Sombra will also have her current passive ability, Opportunist, taken away. This ability allowed her to see critically injured enemies through walls and deal additional damage over time on hack targets.
Sombra will still use her Machine Pistol, which is now optimized for close-range combat and deals more damage per shot at maximum spread. In addition, Sombra now gains access to Virus, a new skill that implanted bugs into enemies that slowly dealt damage over time or instantly killed them if hacked; this ability synergized better with Sombra’s Machine Gun than her previous Disabler did.
4. Lifeweaver Update
Lifeweaver was unveiled to wide acclaim when Overwatch 2’s latest support hero, Lifeweaver, launched in April, yet some players found him underperforming as a healer. To address this, Blizzard will soon introduce some tweaks into future patch notes to give Lifeweaver additional abilities as a healer.
Blizzard’s lead hero designer, Alec Dawson, tweeted out details on these changes. Specifically, they aim to streamline Lifeweaver’s control scheme in order to make it less cumbersome to play and implement balance changes, including some buffs. These changes should make Lifeweaver feel less bulky to operate overall.
Starting, the team is altering Lifeweaver’s default controls, using his jump and melee buttons for movement while the left trigger fires Healing Blossom while the right trigger launches Thorn Volley. This new layout will become the default setting; however, players have the option of switching back if desired.
Developer Comment: This change has been implemented to reduce the amount of time it takes to switch between these abilities and also decrease Thorn Volley reload time (currently tested at 1 second, with adjustments possible in the future).
Next, the team is adding additional utility to Lifeweaver’s build with adjustments to his Petal Platform and Earthshatter. The former now has a smaller area of effect for easier placement of lifts, while its cooldown has been reduced from 20 seconds to 16 seconds.
Blizzard’s final set of changes for Lifeweaver includes some significant upgrades to his healing capacities. His primary healing has been increased from 65 to 75 health, while Tree of Life now heals at higher rates than before.
As part of these changes, the team is also making adjustments to Lifeweaver’s damage and defense abilities. His primary fire spread has been narrowed, while more ammo will now be available for Helix Rocket use. Furthermore, Widowmaker will see her scoped shot damage falloff min-max range reduced in order to compensate for increased damage brought about by these modifications.
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