Throughout the history of Overwatch 2, the discourse surrounding the game’s balance has always been at the forefront. However, lately, the balance talk has subsided, with only a handful of heroes finding themselves above the well-balanced meter. Players were expecting the next balance patch to occur with the release of Season 16, but that was not the case. On the 25th of March, Blizzard dropped a hotfix patch to Overwatch 2 that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. But what implications does the patch have on the overall balance for the rest of Season 15?
March 25th Hotfix Patch
The list of all changes can be found below:
Tank
Mauga
Cardiac Overdrive
- No longer provides allies with damage reduction.
Cage Fight
- Ultimate cost increased 8%.
- Barrier health reduced from 1500 to 1200 HP.
Berserker Passive
- Overhealth conversion rate reduced from 50% to 40%.
Roadhog
Take a Breather
- Maximum healing increased from 400 to 450.
Whole Hog
- Ultimate cost reduced 12%.
Winston
Primal Rage
- Ultimate cost increased 10%.
Zarya
Energy
- Degeneration rate increased from 2 to 2.5 per second.
Damage
Cassidy
Peacekeeper
- Primary fire falloff range increased from 20 to 25 meters.
- Secondary fire damage increased from 45 to 50.
Echo
- Base health reduced from 225 to 150.
- Shield health increased from 0 to 75.
Soldier: 76
Heavy Pulse Rifle
- Primary fire now uses the larger projectile size (0.07 meters).
Sojourn
Power Slide
- Cooldown increased from 7 to 8 seconds.
- Maximum duration reduced from 1.2 to 1 second.
Widowmaker
- Base health increased from 200 to 225 HP.
Support
Ana
Biotic Grenade
- Cooldown increased from 12 to 14 seconds for non-6v6 games modes.
- Cooldown increased from 10 to 12 seconds for 6v6 games modes.
Shrike
- Self-Nano Boost duration reduced from 8 to 6 seconds.
Juno
Orbital Ray
- Ultimate cost increased 10%.
Balance Impact on Overwatch 2
Mauga receives the most impactful changes, with KarQ noting the significance of these nerfs. Mauga takes a hit to his Cardiac Overdrive and Berserker Passive. Mauga has been a nightmare for Overwatch 2 balance designers recently, and he might be in an ideal balance spot now.
The state of Hitscans is a spot of intrigue with this hotfix. Cassidy, Soldier: 76, and Widowmaker receive buffs, while Sojourn gets hit with a nerf. Sojourn has been a meta mainstay for a significant time now. Should these changes upset that fact, players will be happy to have a respite from the Canadian powerhouse.
The nerfs to Ana are the last significant changes, but whether that shifts her out of the meta is unlikely. Since the addition of perks to Overwatch 2, Ana has been a high-priority pick in the support role. While one of the nerfs is to Shrike, her most-used major perk, it remains a powerful choice for Ana players.
