May 25, 2021 Blizzard has revealed changes it’s looking at for some of Overwatch 2’s heroes
We got our first in-depth look at Overwatch 2 PvP last week, as the devs revealed that the game will drop to 5v5 matches with two supports, two DPS, and one tank. But that’s not the only big change for the sequel – a number of heroes are getting big changes, too. Some specific changes were showcased on the stream, but full reworks are on the table, too, and one of the revamped heroes will be Bastion.
“Heroes like Bastion are being reviewed and reworked from the ground up, which will result in major changes to how the hero plays,” Blizzard says in a post recapping today’s stream. “This shift will result in rebalancing and adjustments across the board – we’ll aim to give you a sneak peek on how things are coming for some heroes later this year.”
Blizzard went into more detail in an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for the game’s fifth anniversary on Reddit. Lead game designer Geoff Goodman explains the team is experimenting with pushing his recon form’s range out by changing his weapon. The hope is that it’ll make him more useful while creating some separation from his other forms.
It looks like the team’s focus is, however, more directed towards his sentry mode, with Goodman explaining that they’re looking into making Bastion more mobile in sentry mode.
“The cost of reducing his mobility to gain huge damage is still interesting and its the heart of what makes him work,” Goodman explains. “However, completely removing his mobility has proved to be too harsh of a penalty, and it’s realistically possible to balance him with this downside in mind (especially between different skill levels).
“So right now we’re testing allowing him to move in sentry form, but just more slowly than normal. This comes with new tuning for his sentry weapon, of course, so it isn’t quite as deadly as it is in [Overwatch 1].”
Keep in mind, though, that the team are still toying around with these changes, so Bastion could change further still. Goodman says there’s more to share down the road, so sit tight.
News: There will “almost certainly” be an Overwatch 2 beta
Another notable hero change mentioned on stream was a big nerf for Mei. Her freeze ray will still deal damage and slow enemies, but it will no longer freeze them all together, which should make her a whole lot less infuriating to play against.
Each role is getting differentiated from others, too. DPS characters now move faster than other characters, supports get automatic health regeneration, and tanks take reduced knockback and provide less ultimate charge when you damage them. All these features are subject to change as Blizzard continues balancing the game, but this offers a good idea of where the devs plan to go.
The Overwatch 2 release date is still a long way out, but at least we’re starting to get a clearer picture of what to expect.