Despite many a Genji main’s best efforts to campaign against a nerf, it seems the DPS hero is firmly in the crosshairs in the next big patch to come for Overwatch 2. Sombra and DVa are also both seemingly firmly in Blizzard’s sights.
It’s expected that a big update will come ahead of the Overwatch League Playoffs later this month, and will introduce some huge nerfs for Genji, Sombra and DVa.
Genji has been a hot topic of discussion within the Overwatch 2 community since launch. His damage and ammo capacity have been the target of players, who claim his kit, combined with enhanced agility, make him nigh impossible to defeat.
Sombra on the other hand has proven a huge nuisance for players. Her ability to hack while invisible makes her difficult to counter, while her increased damage output when attacking hacked enemies made her one of the more terrifying enemies in the game.
The folks over at GGRecon claim both heroes will be the focus of the next big patch, which will go live on the OWL Practice Servers on October 24, ahead of a planned big launch for all players on October 26. Although the update on that date could be different for the general population, likely the return of Junkertown, Bastion and Torbjorn, so we may be waiting longer for these changes.
Check out the leaked patch notes below.
Sombra
- Hack ability lockout duration reduced from 1.75 to 1.5 seconds
- Hacked enemies are no longer valid targets for hacking for the duration of the effect
- Hacked damage multiplier reduced from 40 to 25%
Genji
- Maximum ammo reduced from 30 to 24
- Shuriken damage reduced from 29 to 27
Zarya
- Barrier duration reduced from 2.5 to 2 seconds
- Barrier cooldown increased from 10 to 11 seconds
D.Va
- Fusion Cannon spread increased from 3.5 to 3.75
- Boosters impact damage reduced from 25 to 15
Sombra’s nerfs are pretty significant here, as it basically forces her into quick, once-off battles with heroes before leaving an area. As it stands, she can hack, deal damage, and hack the same enemy again even before the initial hack was finished.
Her hacked damage multiplier will also apparently be decreased from 40% to 25%, which should please Support mains.
Genji’s seeing some significant changes, too: his ammo will be down to 24 from 30, while his primary fire is also set to be reduced 2 DMS to 27 from 29.
Zarya, who has found her way to the top of the Season 1 meta, has had her barrier duration reduced from 2.5 to 2 seconds, with the cooldown also increased by 1 second. This should make her easier to counter and manage, and more balanced alongside opposing DPS heroes.
D.Va is an interesting one: her Fusion Cannon spread has been boosted from 3.5 to 3.75, forcing her into closer battles. In the current meta, her cannons have far too much range and headshot range, so this is probably a positive change for her.
What are your thoughts on the proposed changes? Sound off in the comments below!
