As a live service multiplayer experience, Overwatch 2 — just like the original game — will receive plenty of balance tweaks and character adjustments over the course of its lifetime. In a new blog post recently published by developer Blizzard, we’ve gotten a look at the heroes that the studio is keeping a close eye on post-launch, as well as the ones that are expected to get some changes in Season 2.
Based on the contents of the post, it sounds like players can expect some nerfs to Sombra and buffs to Doomfist. The developer says that it wants Sombra’s hack targets to “have a reasonable time to fight back,” and also want hacks against tank heroes to feel less oppressive. As a result, adjustments to Sombra’s hack ability-lockout duration and her ability to focus tanks with hacks are expected in the future. Meanwhile, Doomfist is potentially getting improvements for his Power Block and Meteor Strike abilities in order to make him more viable.
The Overwatch team is also watching Zarya, Junker Queen, Genji, Symmetra, and Torbjorn closely. Zarya’s new ability to choose where to place her two Particle Barriers can lead to her getting high charge extremely quickly, which the developers may tweak in Season 2. Blizzard is keeping a close eye on Junker Queen to “ensure she’s an effective tank and fun to play” after the recent nerfs to her Commanding Shout, and are monitoring Genji’s current high pick and win-rates to make sure he’s not too strong. Symmetra and Torbjorn have become increasingly popular as well, though the developer’s note that since they can effectively counter Genji, they might not need adjustments if Genji becomes less powerful.
Blizzard also noted that the new hero Kiriko has been incredibly well-received by the community, initially having a play rate over 75% and currently enjoying a 52% win-rate. The developers say that Her Wall Climb and Swift Step abilities make her “the most survivable support hero on the roster” currently, though her damage is relatively low (like Ana) compared to other supports and her healing output is average.
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