Overwatch 2 Retail Patch Notes for April 16

The Overwatch 2 retail patch notes for April 16 have been released by Blizzard Entertainment. This significant update adds a slew of brand new modes, modes of play and tweaks to the hero shooter. We’ll dive into the details of this massive patch.

Patch Notes

Limited-Time Mode: Clash Trial

• Teams battle over 5 capture points
• Each captured objective adds a point to the team’s score
• Win by scoring 5 points or capturing the final objective

The Clash mode follows a linear pattern of five objectives on a mirrored map, with only one objective active at a time. Teams capture an objective by standing on it and filling a progress bar, which cannot be accomplished if enemy players are contesting the area. 

Hanaoka – New Map

• Explore new areas of Hanamura
• Inspired by the visual themes of the Assault map

Accompanying the Clash mode is the introduction of Hanaoka, a brand-new map inspired by the beloved Hanamura locale. Players can explore never-before-seen corners of Hanamura, including shops, restaurants, and the once-proud Shimada castle, all adorned with the visual themes of the iconic Assault map.

Mythic Hero Skin Updates

• Unlocked in new Mythic Shop using Mythic Prisms
• Start with base customizations for 50 Prisms
• Level up with 10 Prisms per level, up to 80 for all customizations
• Earn Mythic Prisms through Premium Battle Pass

The Mythic Hero Skins are now unlocked in the new Mythic Shop, where players can exchange Mythic Prisms to acquire them. Mythic Hero Skins can be unlocked with a starting group of customizations for 50 Mythic Prisms and can be upgraded with 10 Mythic Prisms per level.

General Updates

• Weekly Challenges reward extra Battle Pass XP
• Overwatch Coins now earned in Battle Pass
• Reduced number of Weekly Challenges
• Level 0 Endorsement players can’t use chat
• “Hide My Name” option hides BattleTag from group/friends

The patch introduces several general updates, including changes to Challenges, Endorsement System, and the “Hide My Name” option. Weekly Challenges have been streamlined, now rewarding additional Battle Pass XP upon completion of milestones. 

Competitive Updates

• Role-specific titles for ranks (e.g. Champion Tank)
• See Match History and reports for each role
• New Narrow/Wide group restrictions 
• “Wide” modifier reduces rank changes
• “Demotion Protection” modifier added

Competitive Play has received a significant overhaul with this patch. End-of-season titles for Competitive Role Queue now include the specific role in which the rank was achieved, such as “Champion Tank” or “Champion Support.” 

New Hero: Venture

• Immediately available in Competitive Play

Among the most exciting additions is the introduction of Venture, a new hero immediately available to play in Competitive Play. This marks a significant change from past hero releases, as Blizzard aims to allow new heroes into Competitive Play from the outset.

Tank Hero Changes

• Doomfist Rocket Punch quality-of-life improvement
• Junker Queen Carnage damage increase
• Reinhardt Earthshatter duration/range increases  
• Sigma barrier movement speed increase
• Wrecking Ball grapple, shield, and Minefield changes

Damage Hero Changes  

• Sombra Virus damage decrease
• Tracer ability cooldown increases
• Venture damage redistributed across abilities

Support Hero Changes

• Lucio/Moira damage tweaks
• Lifeweaver healing increases  

Numerous hero balancing adjustments have been made across all roles, including Tank, Damage, and Support. Notable changes include improvements to Doomfist’s Rocket Punch, increased impact damage for Junker Queen’s Carnage, and longer knockdown duration and shockwave range for Reinhardt’s Earthshatter. 

Bug Fixes

• Hero Mastery Gauntlet, Wall Climb, leaderboard issues
• Map fixes for jump pads, payload, environment issues
• Numerous hero-specific bug fixes

Last but not least, the patch addresses various bug fixes across different aspects of the game. These include fixes for issues related to Hero Mastery Gauntlet, Wall Climb, leaderboard entries, and map-specific bugs on Circuit Royale and Paraíso. 

Group Restrictions

The Grouping Restrictions in Competitive Play have been revamped, with groups now classified as Narrow or Wide based on the rank differences between players. 

Narrow Groups will always be matched against other Narrow Groups or solo players, ensuring fair and balanced matches. Wide Groups, on the other hand, will experience increased queue times and reduced match quality due to the challenges of finding suitable opponents.

Rank Information

Rank information has also been updated, introducing a new “Wide” modifier that reduces changes in Rank Progress when winning or losing matches in Wide Groups. 

The “Volatile” modifier is now “Demotion,” and a new “Demotion Protection” modifier is now used to mark when a player did not die during Skill Division because of a loss.

Conclusion

With the April 16 Overwatch 2 Retail Patch Notes, Blizzard continues to refine and refine the game’s content and mechanics. When players do finally get the update they can expect fresh new gameplay modes, balanced hero changes and a smoother overall experience.