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After months of relative silence regarding the development of Overwatch 2, Blizzard has announced that the game's first beta will be coming later this April, which will give players access to some of the sequel's reworked heroes. Overwatch 2 - the sequel to 2015 hero shooter Overwatch - is emphasizing PvE, but it will also bring a host of changes to the original game's PvP multiplayer. Over the course of the first Overwatch's lifespan, developer Blizzard introduced numerous hero reworks, nerfs, and buffs to maintain a sense of balance in competitive multiplayer, and to ensure that all heroes remained viable. Overwatch 2 will continue this trend, with Blizzard having already revealed several heroes who will be receiving reworks as multiplayer shifts from the 6v6 format of the original game to 5v5.
When Overwatch 2 was announced at BlizzCon 2019, Blizzard revealed that a number of heroes would be receiving reworks and visual redesigns. Although the designs of the first Overwatch were iconic, Blizzard has provided a number of visual flourishes on them for the sequel, ensuring that their default appearances don't grow stale. Equally, while the Overwatch meta itself was in a relatively good position in 2020 and 2021, the decision to switch from 6v6 to 5v5 in Overwatch 2 necessitates that heroes will have to be changed. The 2-2-2 system cemented in the latter stages of the first game (where teams were mandated to have two DPS characters, two tanks, and two s) is now gone, meaning that teams will now be left with one less tank than before, but that the same tank should feel tanky-er than it otherwise was previously.
Blizzard has so far announced several key hero reworks coming to Overwatch 2, with the likes of Reinhardt, Mei, Winston, and Mercy all receiving significant tweaks to their skill-sets, but has drawn attention to four in particular with its announcement of the Overwatch 2 beta. Some of these reworks had been announced previously with updates posted to the official PlayOverwatch YouTube channel, but others are new information. As detailed on the official Overwatch website, new reworked heroes playable in the beta are as follows:
- Orisa
- Doomfist
- Bastion
- Sombra
Orisa Has Been Reworked In Overwatch 2's Beta
A versatile if not underutilized tank in the first Overwatch, it has been confirmed that Orisa will receive some reworks in Overwatch 2. Gameplay-wise, Orisa excels as a sturdy tank with good damage over medium distances. Her primary weapon can pose a real risk to squishy targets if they're not careful, while her shields are great at negating damage sustained to teammates. When paired with another of Overwatch's tanks like Reinhardt or Zarya, teams can negate a decent amount of damage while actively engaging the enemy. Orisa is particularly effective in defensive scenarios, whether that be holding the point on Control or pushing an enemy off the objective in Payload, although she can be overwhelmed if enemies are able to penetrate her shields and deal damage up close.
Given Orisa can be most effective when working directly with another tank, it makes sense that she'd be reworked in Overwatch 2, as the new 5v5 format leaves teams with one less option. Orisa isn't as effective at breaking enemy lines like a Reinhardt or D.VA, so tends to be played quite defensively, which means she'd be limited in her old form as a sole tank. Blizzard is yet to reveal the reworks it has made to the character - only announcing as a part of Overwatch 2's beta announcement that she's seen some reworks - but it's possible said changes will allow her to tank more aggressively than she was previously able to.
Overwatch 2 Hero Reworks - Doomfist's Switch From DPS To Tank
Doomfist, an aggressive, highly mobile DPS character in the first Overwatch, may be having one of the more interesting reworks in Overwatch 2, depending on how playtests have gone over the last wave of announcements. Blizzard had previously teased that Doomfist worked more effectively in the sequel as a tank character, rather than a DPS. Switching Doomfist from his original class to a tank would be one of the more significant changes made to any of Overwatch's heroes thus far, and while it might seem like a strange move on paper, there is a logic behind it.
As reported by DPS character in Overwatch 2. While responding to a question regarding Doomfist's potential rework, Goodman stated that, "Doomfist’s kit is full of crowd control effects and mobility, which makes it difficult to tune and balance him as a DPS... As a Tank though, he can keep those key properties to his kit since those can fit nicely into a Tank role (mostly the crowd control stuff)." It's unclear how the new Doomfist rework will play out in practice, or even if Blizzard has kept the character as a tank since last year, but if the change has stuck, this would represent one of the most significant reworks Overwatch 2 has brought to the table.
Reworked Heroes In Overwatch 2's Beta - Bastion
One of the reworks that Blizzard announced a while back related to Bastion, whose kit has seen some big changes in Overwatch 2. (He also sports a dashing new hat.) As revealed in an update posted to the Overwatch 2 has also changed Bastion's primary weapon, switching from an assault rifle-style firearm to a weapon with a much slower fire rate. This should help Bastion compete at longer distances, but may reduce some of his versatility in close encounters.
By far the most significant change, however, is Bastion's ultimate. While in the first game triggering his ultimate ability would turn Bastion into a mobile tank, in Overwatch 2, Bastion's ultimate will transform him into an artillery piece. The camera's perspective will then switch to a top-down view of the map, allowing the player to call in three precision artillery strikes on any visible enemies. Further to that, Bastion's sentry mode is now on a cooldown, but comes with the added bonus of no longer being stationary. Players can now move freely around the map with Bastion's minigun dealing mass amounts of damage, albeit at a reduced movement speed when compared to his un-nerfed tank form from the first Overwatch.
Sombra Has Been Reworked In Overwatch 2's Beta
Last on the list of reworked heroes mentioned in Overwatch 2's beta reveal is Sombra, a stealthy DPS character who could prove devastating in the first Overwatch in the right hands. Sombra's hacking-based move-set made her a frustrating enemy to deal with in the first game, as she was capable of disabling hero abilities. A well-timed ultimate - which disabled all enemy abilities in a radius - could also ruin key ultimate ability plays and combinations, reversing momentum away from an enemy team in key match-winning moments.
Despite Sombra being a highly effective hero in the first Overwatch, she could also be countered quite easily. As a result, Sombra has seen significant redesigns in Overwatch 2, with Blizzard having reduced the cooldown of her normal hack ability dramatically. However, to compensate for this, Sombra will only disable enemy abilities for a maximum of one second. Sombra's hacking tools have been given a massive buff on top of that, with hacked targets taking 50% more damage from Sombra, and hacked enemies showing up through walls to both her and her teammates. Sombra's ultimate now also takes 40% of enemy players' health away, encouraging more aggressive plays and increasing her overall damage output. Lastly, Sombra can now also hack targets while cloaked in stealth, making her harder to detect and counter with characters like Cassidy (formerly McCree).
The above heroes only scratch the surface of the variety of reworks Blizzard has introduced with its sequel. The change to 5v5 in Overwatch 2 has meant that many of these reworks have been done out of necessity, while others have potentially been introduced to make characters more viable than they otherwise were in the most recent Overwatch meta. In any case, the Overwatch 2 beta should provide players with the opportunity to see how these changes hold up, and determine whether the switch from 6v6 has benefited PvP.
Sources: Overwatch, Dexerto, PlayOverwatch/YouTube
