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Overwatch 2 patch sparks criticism over Mercy changes

The recent Overwatch 2 patch introduced a few changes, but not all were well received. The changes to Mercy... Fragster | 29. June 2022

The recent Overwatch 2 patch introduced a few changes, but not all were well received. The changes to Mercy in particular have drawn a lot of criticism from fans. Here are some of the patch notes and a glimpse into the Mercy drama.

Almost a month and a half have passed since the end of Overwatch 2’s first beta testing phase, which gave the developers ample time to add new content for the next round, which started yesterday, June 28. A comprehensive set of patch notes includes much-discussed new additions like the Junker Queen, Overwatch’s newest tank, and the new hybrid map Paraíso, formerly known as Rio de Janeiro.

However, the patch also includes many previously unknown changes to heroes that could affect gameplay. The full list of changes from June 28th is very extensive, so this article offers only an excerpt. Full patch notes can be found on Overwatch’s official website. 

General changes

Quick Play games now use the Competitive ruleset, which allows teams to play both sides of a map. Reel Queue and Open Queue are now available in Quickplay, but otherwise the mode remains mostly the same.

The ping system has been updated in a number of ways, and now includes low and critical health indicators that can be triggered with abilities like Windowmaker’s Infra-Sight. Updated visuals include new icons and animated off-screen pings to increase awareness. Players can now also ping the enemy that eliminated them for up to three seconds after death.

The scoreboard has also been overhauled, with its layout redesigned and increased transparency to be less intrusive. New stats, such as damage mitigation, will also appear on the scoreboard.

Changes to heroes

Damage heroes have a new passive ability that replaces the previous movement speed buff. When switching to a new hero, up to 30% of the ultimate charge is retained, which allows players to adjust their composition without jeopardizing progress. The self-heal activation time for the passive support role has also been increased from 1 second to 1.5 seconds.

In addition, all heroes in Overwatch 2 received visual updates. These new looks can be equipped by selecting “Classic II” in the hero gallery.

Tank heroes

Reinhardt

  • Armour reduced from 350 to 300
  • Health increased from 300 to 325

Winston

  • Barrier Projector’s health reduced from 800 to 700
  • Increased the ultimate cost of Primal Rage by 10%

D.Va

  • Mech armour increased from 200 to 300
  • Mech health reduced from 450 to 35.

Doomfist

  • Seismic Slam no longer slows enemies down.
  • Power Block damage reduction reduced from 90% to 80%

Idol

  • Augmented Fusion Driver damage increased from 10 to 12
  • Projectile size no longer scales with distance
  • Projectile initial size reduced from 0.3 to 0.1
  • Critical damage bonus increased from 50% to 100%
  • Reduced damage falloff at maximum range from 70% to 50%
  • Maximum falloff range reduced to 15-25 meters from 15-35 meters
  • Removed the 20% movement speed penalty from buff. Removed immunity to headshots.
  • Javelin cooldown reduced from 10 seconds to 7 seconds
  • Speed ​​boost reduced from 65% to 40%. Recoil increased.
  • Energy spear impact damage reduced from 80 to 60. Cooldown increased from 6.5 seconds to 8 seconds.
  • Terra Surge max damage increased from 275 to 500
  • Damage starts ramping up after the old damage timing of 200

Support heroes

Mercy

  • Guardian Angel can no longer be cancelled while crouching to gain a large vertical boost
  • You will now be automatically catapulted upwards when you reach the end of Guardian Angel
  • Angelic Descent now additionally slows ascent speed when held, not just descent speed
  • This means you can dampen vertical recoil, but also reduce the height that vertical GA boost gives you
Mercy Overawatch2

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment

Criticism of Mercy changes

Although the patch has only been live for a short time, it has already received a lot of criticism, which mainly affects the changes to Mercy. More specifically, the change that prevents Guardian Angel from being cancelled while crouching, along with the “catapulting” part. 

While this change legitimizes the long-standing movement trick and evolves it from a previous bug to an intended feature of the ability, it now directly limits the player’s control over the hero. Both new players and veterans were quick to voice criticism of the change. For most, it’s the direct removal of the easy-to-perform but difficult-to-master trick that doesn’t sit well.

Some players think that the developers took away everything that was at least a little bit complex about Mercy’s gameplay, while others argue that this change will cause her to get killed half the time in

Header: Blizzard Entertainment