Balancing in a competitive shooter like Overwatch 2 can often feel like less of a tightrope walk and more like attempting to tap dance through a mine field. Still, it’s a routine that Blizzard is continually attempting to improve and refine, which brings us to the most recent dev blog that provides a few looks at balance adjustments.
The post first starts off with a focus on Freja and how the pick/ban feature has provided insight into what characters need changing. The post discusses buffs and then subsequent nerfs made to the character, all while gauging ban rates for her until things settled into a sweet spot. Blizzard promises to continue to use these data to inform character balance changes, specifically calling out Sombra as the next target, though the post also admits that settling her kit isn’t a quick fix.
The post also discusses some out-of-the-box thinking for balance, such as a change for Bastion due in June 24th’s Season 17 that will see his character model shrink down by 10%. “Our favorite cheerful Omnic does a ton of damage, but the sheer size of his character model makes him difficult to play in many situations,” Blizzard explains. “Bastion struggles with survivability even though he has the largest health and armor pool of any damage hero.”
Other adjustments are due in Season 17 as well beyond a fun-sized Bastion, including plans to tweak Junker Queen’s Commanding Shout that prioritizes ally overhealth and some quality-of-life changes to a couple of character perks. More details are likely coming soon, but generally speaking, this post is all about the only constant in gaming: change.
