The most controversial hero changes in the history of Overwatch

Overwatch 2 has undergone significant changes since the launch of the first game in 2016. One of the biggest changes was when Blizzard decided to switch from 6v6 to 5v5, aiming to reduce wait times and promote faster-paced team fights. Over the years, there have been several revisions of controversial maps and characters.

Since Overwatch 2 debuted in Early Access in October 2022, the hero shooter has undergone several changes. There are now six new characters in the game, increasing the hero selection to 38. Over time, many of the characters have been adjusted to fit the meta, and their abilities have been accordingly adapted.

Widowmaker

Widowmaker's position in the game has always been a topic of discussion, as some players believed she was not easily countered. For years, some thought that Widowmaker's ability to kill enemies with a single shot from a distance did not fit the game's style. To address this, Blizzard has constantly experimented with her damage falloff. In 2016, she could kill with a single body shot, but now she needs to be within 50 meters to achieve this.

Brigitte

When Brigitte was released in 2018, she was immediately labeled as one of the most overpowered heroes. Her presence ultimately led to the GOATS meta, which typically consisted of three tanks and three supports. Lucio, D.Va, and Brigitte were all crucial in this composition, and the win rates of these teams were extremely high, as anyone who didn't copy this strategy was unlikely to win. Later on, role locks were implemented, and Brigitte saw a reduction in her shield health as well as a weakening of her shield bash.

Cole Cassidy

The DPS cowboy used to be named after a former Blizzard employee, Jesse McCree. After sexual harassment allegations emerged, he was renamed as Cole Cassidy. He is also in a difficult situation as Overwatch 2 began with the intention of removing stuns from the game. Cassidy was one of the first whose abilities were changed as a result. The flashbang, which used to stun enemies, was replaced with the magnetic grenade. Unfortunately, the new ability has undergone several revisions as the developers may be uncertain about what to do with him.

Mercy

Mercy is perhaps one of the most discussed heroes in Overwatch, as her current kit is more focused on supporting her teammates rather than actively playing herself. Her mobility, damage boost beam, and resurrection have always been of interest. Before 2017, she could resurrect all nearby allies. However, some believed that this led to her hiding to derive value from it. Now, her resurrection is limited to one person and has a cooldown of thirty seconds.

Doomfist

Doomfist players have been very vocal about this tank for quite some time, even though this hero used to belong to the damage category. For individual players and those who believed Doomfist was a suitable DPS, it was a devastating decision to transform him into a tank. Furthermore, the changes to Doomfist brought various issues, with up to fifty active bugs identified on July 18th.

Honorable mentions for other controversial hero adjustments include Orisa's original kit from the first Overwatch, Mei's slowing effect, Sombra's invisibility, and Hanzo's scatter arrows. However, it is likely that further reworks are on the horizon as Blizzard examines upcoming seasons of play. After all, Sombra and Roadhog have been confirmed for future patches. While the developer often strives to maintain a healthy meta, Blizzard will likely make further decisions that not everyone in the community agrees with. Hopefully, Aaron Keller and Team 4 will continue to listen to feedback.

Overwatch 2 is now available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.