Blizzard reveals Overwatch 2 launch balance changes and patch notes

Overwatch 2 is slated to launch in just under two weeks on Oct. 4, 2022, and ahead of the game’s full release, developer Blizzard Entertainment has announced all of the balance changes that are going live on release day. These include a variety of buffs and nerfs to specific heroes, as well as some broader changes that will affect a wide variety of characters.

The biggest change that players can expect when Overwatch 2 goes live is that the role passive for damage heroes that allowed players to transfer 30% Ultimate charge when swapping characters has been applied to all heroes, including tank and support characters. Damage heroes now have a new passive that gives them a 25 percent faster movement and reload speed whenever they score an elimination. This buff will last for 2.5 seconds, and while players won’t be able to stack it, they will be able to refresh and extend it by getting additional eliminations.

Blizzard is also tweaking the temporary health (green bars of HP) provided by certain abilities and Ultimates so that it grants 50 percent reduced Ultimate charge instead of zero Ultimate charge when enemy players damage it. This will make damaging health-buffed opponents more rewarding, while still preserving Overhealth’s utility as an effective tool for countering abilities and contesting objectives.

Many hero changes have also been made, with nerfs to Junker Queen and buffs to Orisa and Bastion standing out as the most significant tweaks. Junker Queen’s Commanding Shout ability is having its health bonus reduced from 100 to 50, though the Overhealth will no longer decay over the course of the ability’s duration. Its duration is also being reduced from 5 seconds to 3, and its cooldown has increased from 11 to 15 seconds as well.