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Overwatch 2's October 25th Halloween Patch Is Bringing Big Changes to the Game


Changes Coming to Overwatch
Credit: Blizzard

Overwatch 2 is here, and the game is finally playable after a slew of launch issues related servers. However, the game’s first big patch, which is expected to drop sometime today on October 25th, is bringing big changes to the game. Thanks to leaks, we know what’s coming, too. So, in this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Overwatch 2’s October 25th Halloween patch bringing big changes to the game.

Related: Why Overwatch 2's Competitive Mode Isn't Bugged or Broken

Changes Coming to Overwatch

Changes Coming to Overwatch 2
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Credit: Blizzard

First off, Torbjorn and Bastion will be returning to Overwatch 2 with this patch, as will the Junkertown map. These heroes (and map) were removed from the game after bugs were discovered with them, which isn’t the most unusual.

However, Bastion’s long absence from the game in particular is something of an unusual move for Blizzard. If a more popular hero, like Mercy or Sojourn, was bugged, no doubt that Blizzard would have worked overtime to get that hero back into the rotation. Nonetheless, it’s great news for fans that these heroes and this map are returning to the game.

In terms of other updates, you’ll be able to get yourself a free Reaper skin as well as a free weapon charm for playing after the patch, in part as a bit of an apology from Blizzard for the game’s rocky launch with many server issues.

Related: 5 Tips for Climbing the Competitive Ladder in Overwatch 2

No news on the game’s monetization yet, with many players complaining about how hard it is to unlock cosmetics and enjoy a sense of progression in-game. We wouldn’t necessarily expect a huge overhaul, but a response from Blizzard, at least, seems somewhat inevitable, considering the huge backlash from the community about these systems.

Hero Balancing Coming to Overwatch

Changes Coming to Overwatch 3
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Credit: Blizzard

The biggest news coming out of this patch comes down to balance. A few key heroes are getting big nerfs, the biggest of which is coming to Genji.

Genji’s maximum ammo is being reduced from 30 down to 24, while his shuriken damage is being reduced from 29 down to 27. This is a pretty significant cut on ammo, while it’s also a meaningful reduction in damage, so together, Genji is going to be killing a lot less people.

Sombra is also getting a fairly big rework, though her nerfs seem to be more about cutting down on the cheese-potential of her hacking. So, first off, a hacked target will no longer be able to be hacked again until the first hack’s duration expires. Paired with this is a reduction in the hack ability lockout duration from 1.75 seconds to 1.5 seconds, which is a slight buff.

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Then, hacked targets will no longer have a 40% damage increase, and instead, you’re going to get a 25% damage increase, lowering the overall damage by 15%. This means that Sombra isn’t going to be taking down tanks by herself anymore, but she won’t have much trouble with squishier targets, like supports. This is a nerf, but a less significant one than Genji’s getting.

Zarya is also getting nerfed. Her barrier duration is being reduced from 2.5 seconds to 2 seconds, while the barrier cooldown is being increased from 10 to 11 seconds. This is a relatively minor sound nerf, on paper, but especially the barrier duration reduction is likely to feel more significant than it looks when that .5 seconds is the time it takes your team to focus down a Zarya for the kill.

D.Va is also getting some changes, though they aren’t the most life-changing. Her cannon spread is increasing from 3.5 to 3.75, giving her just a bit more firepower, while her boosters impact damage is getting reduced from 25 to 15.

Related: Why Is Overwatch 2's Competitive Mode Broken?

How Will Overwatch 2 Play Post Patch

Changes Coming to Overwatch 4
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Credit: Blizzard

We’ll have to wait and see, of course, but these changes are no doubt going to shake up the meta.

For one, Bastion’s return is going to have more impact than many think. Bastion was not an especially powerful hero in Overwatch, and considering he’s slow and doesn’t have a movement ability, many assume the meta in Overwatch 2 isn’t going to be too kind to him.

In part, most especially at higher ELOs in Competitive, this is true, but for the majority of the playerbase, Bastion is likely to be relevant. With the move to one tank in a 5v5 setup, most characters feel quite squishy and often lack lots of heavy firepower and crowd control, especially for DPS heroes. Bastion, on the other hand, is quite tanky and his minigun offers up a ton of firepower while his mortar ult can be an effective crowd-control ability.

On the other side, Genji is likely to see a lot less play. Right now, it’s pretty common to see a Genji in most games, but after this patch, expect him to quickly become Cassidy-tier in that you’ll see him once in a while, and every so often he might be a problem, but it’s going to be a lot less pervasive.

Related: Why Do Overwatch Players Want Lootboxes Back?

Sombra and Zarya nerfs will, indeed, likely see them played a bit less, but considering these nerfs aren’t as gamechanging and ultimately seem to be combatting a fair bit of unfair potential for cheesiness and solo-carrying in comparison to other heroes, it doesn’t seem likely that Sombra or Zarya will become bad choices as heroes.

Naturally, we’ll have to wait and see how the meta shakes out, and the meta is very different going from Quick Play to Competitive and from low ELO Competitive to high ELO Competitive, as always, so your personal mileage may vary.

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