Overwatch 2 devs tease major Hanzo rework, Tank buffs & CC changes

Overwatch 2 has seen some major changes to multiple Heroes, maps, and the Competitive mode over the last few seasons, but the devs are not done with updates yet, as they teased more tweaks for the future.

Overwatch Coach sat down with Lead Gameplay Designer Alec Dawson to chat about Tank updates, a Hanzo rework, and more.

Hanzo rework

The first change that the Overwatch 2 devs are thinking about is slightly reworking Hanzo. Specifically, they’re taking a look at how Storm Arrows are currently functioning, and thinking about bringing back his one-shot potential. 

“He’s kind of lost his identity in the cast,” Dawson said. “He’s on our list right now for what his identity will look like in the future.” 

Dawson didn’t mention exact changes to Hanzo for the future, but he did mention that they were thinking of slightly altering the health pools of certain Heroes who are more difficult to take down. This would inadvertently bring back his one-shot potential, giving him a bit of a buff the devs feel he needs. 

Tank buffs & changes

The second Overwatch 2 Hero who’s on the list for changes is Mauga. In particular, Dawson mentioned that they’re having a look at Cardiac Overdrive and how efficiently Mauga can set Heroes on fire. The aim is to make diving these characters more rewarding.

It’s not likely we’ll see these Mauga changes soon, though, as the devs are working on it as a long-term project.

Winston and Reinhardt will also mentioned too, as it seems the devs have some buffs in store for them. It wasn’t specified when, but Dawson mentioned the team is working on making changes to both Tanks to enhance their playmaking potential. 

More specifically, Reinhardt might be getting his 300 damage charge back, and some improvements are being made to Winston’s Ultimate ability and secondary fire. 

Updates to CC

Speaking of Tanks, they’ve struggled for a while with strong CC abilities in Overwatch 2, especially Wrecking Ball, who has amazing survivability until he’s hit with a hack or a sleep dart. 

As a result, the dev team has been taking a look at how they can change a few core things about Overwatch 2. Dawson implied that CC might be getting a nerf across the board. 

This includes making Ana’s sleep dart have less of an effect on Tank Heroes or Sombra’s Hack taking longer to activate.

All of the updates mentioned in this interview are subject to change, but it’s good to know that the devs are working on reworking Heroes and abilities to make the game smoother to play. Once anything has been confirmed, we will be sure to let you know.