Overwatch is one of the most successful games out there. Overwatch 2 was also announced at BlizzCon 2019. Though this is not a sequel but more like a DLC. However, Blizzard surprised us by saying that players do not need to buy Overwatch 2 to play the game. The servers of the games will be together and players will be able to play even if they have only Overwatch 1. Overwatch does look like it will be around for some time. The only thing stopped this game was the unexpected rise of Battle Royale games. But even then the game has a big community and a loyal fanbase.
The interesting news came from PTR. Maybe the most unexpected thing was the nerf to shields in general. Orisa and Reinhardt will have a tougher time because of these changes. Currently, Orisa’s Protective Barrier health dropped down to 600 from 900. This means that Roadhog can destroy it with 4 shotguns. She has a slight buff in other departments though. Her fortify cooldown reduced from 10 seconds to 8. Also, her base armor is 250 instead of 200. Reinhardt also suffered from shield nerfs. His shield will have 1600 health from now on instead of 2000. But his knockback resistance was increased by %20 also he has movement buff when the shield is active. Moira’s healing also reduced to 3.25 from 4.00. All other changes are below.
- D.Va
Defense Matrix
Cooldown decreased from 2 seconds to 1.5 seconds
Developer Comment: With role locks in place there is some room to improve D.Va’s impact as a tank, so we’re partially reverting a previous change that increased Defense Matrix’s cooldown. - Widowmaker
Grappling Hook
Cooldown increased from 10 to 12 seconds. Developer Comment: With barriers having less uptime, Widowmaker will be even more effective at locking down long sightlines. This change weakens her mobility so she can still be reasonably countered. - Torbjörn
Overload
Cooldown decreased from 12 to 10 seconds
Developer Comment: Torbjörn has difficulty in extended team fights once his turret is eliminated and Overload has been used. This change allows Torbjörn to be able to rely on his Overload more often. - Genji
Shuriken
Ammo increased from 24 to 30
Developer Comment: As average hero survivability has gone up over time, Genji can sometimes have difficulty finishing off his targets. Loosening his ammunition constraints will help give him a small boost. - Zarya
Particle Cannon (Secondary Fire)
Explosion radius increased from 2 to 2.5 meters
Ammo cost decreased from 25 to 20
Developer Comment: Zarya’s overall damage output is in a good spot but the secondary fire was left feeling a little too weak after the last set of changes.
These changes will change the gameplay meta for sure. No more hiding behind the shield all the time. However, an increase in Reinhardt’s knockback is also good he will not be so vulnerable. Most of the player base will enjoy these changes because lately shields were extremely powerful. We hope that with this change we will see some improvements.
For full patch notes click here.
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