Blizzard developers say Baptiste will counter GOATS meta

Olivia Richman Published 07/03/2019

Overwatch’s principal designer Geoff Goodman continues to insist that new support hero Baptiste will counter the dreaded GOATS meta.

Standing for “Go All Tanks and Support,” GOATS compositions consists of three tanks and three support heroes. This has become the standard team composition for the entirety of the Overwatch League’s second season, save a few stand-out moments.

Many comparisons have been made to the previously popular dive meta, which had competitive teams using heroes like D.Va and Winston to disrupt the enemy team’s backlines. It was another consistent composition that began to not only bore OWL viewers, but frustrate players on all levels. In response, lead designer Jeff Kaplan introduced Brigitte. Meant to disrupt dive, Brigitte’s aggressive durability and squishy-killing capabilities made her the key not only to destroying dive, but also to introducing GOATS.

Kaplan recalled messing around with Baptiste’s Amplification Matrix ability, stacking Orisa’s Supercharger, Mercy’s damage boost, and Zenyatta’s Discord Orb for a huge damage stack that resulted in the enemy team being easily erased. This was a difficult combo to set up because of the Matrix’s size and the reliance on the enemy team’s positioning. But Kaplan still feels a cap will be put on damage amplifications in time, although the team don’t want to nerf the hero preemptively.

Goodman noted that during testing with Baptiste, the designers and developers first believed he would further enhance GOATS because his kit appears to reward grouped up allies with splash healing and damage increasing abilities. But they found out it was quite the opposite.

“In truth, Baptiste seemed better at countering the GOATS comp,” Goodman said.

In the same interview, Goodman listed off heroes that may be better suited to team up with the new support hero. This includes hitscan heroes like Bastion, Ashe, and Soldier: 76, who most benefit from the Matrix ability. Baptiste also reportedly has good synergy with Ana, since his ultimate doubles healing effects. This seems to open up a lot of new composition possibilities, giving a boost to lesser used DPS heroes in competitive play.

Kaplan stated that he is hoping to see Orisa/Ana/Zenyatta/Baptiste compositions played in the near future. 

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile

Read Also

Twitch

Will Kai Cenat Grow His Twitch Subscribers in the Remainder of 2026? Khizar Mundia Twitch streamer Kai Cenat is one of the most popular personalities on the platform, with his number of followers climbing with every new event that he announces. However, his subscriber numbers have been less straightforward. The American went on an unexpected break after shattering Twitch subscriber records with his Mafiathon 3, but eventually returned with Streamer University 2026. The creator did become the most-subscribed Twitch streamer after his return, but ...

Dota 2

Yandex to repeat?: BLAST SLAM VIII preview, predictions, and more Michael Hassall If you can believe it, we’re already on the eighth edition of BLAST SLAM, as BLAST SLAM VIII kicks off tomorrow (Sep. 29) pitting 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams against each other in what promises to be the first big challenge of this young season. Let’s face it: At PGL Wallachia, we were missing a lot of the heavy hitters. No TI15 champs, no PARIVISION, not BetBoom, ...

News

New York Sues Polymarket Over Gambling Laws As Prediction Market Hits Back Michael Hassall The New York Attorney General, the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the State of New York has filed legal proceedings against prediction market giant Polymarket alleging it is an unlicensed gambling company. First reported by Reuters earlier today (Monday, Sep. 28), Polymarket immediately launched a countersuit challenging the lawsuit’s claim that they constitute a gambling company, and kicking off a legal battle that could have huge implications for ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed Answers Fan Questions: Opens Up About Mental Health and One Piece Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. recently did an extensive Q&A where he answered several fan questions, talking about things such as mental health and loneliness despite being massively popular, while he also debunked being a One Piece “larper”. iShowSpeed is arguably the biggest IRL streamer in the world right now, with 2026 being a major year for the creator. Whether it was livestreaming the 2026 FIFA World Cup or being listed ...

Dota 2

Unstoppable Yandex crush NAVI in one-sided PGL Wallachia finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex has swept the grand finals of the PGL Wallachia Season 9 Dota 2 tournament, defeating Natus Vincere (NAVI) in a 3-0 drubbing this past weekend (Sep. 27). As predicted, the revitalized Yandex, hot off the signing of former Team Falcons star Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf, crushed their youthful opponents in a three-game sweep in the best-of-five finals. Here’s how it happened: After upsetting the star-studded LGD Gaming roster (albeit ...

Twitch

Kai Cenat Reportedly Becomes First Streamer To Broadcast From Inside a Volcano Khizar Mundia Twitch star Kai Cenat caused a major stir online when he announced his Exploring the Unexplored IRL series — and he has now gone live from the first country, Iceland, streaming from inside a volcano. IRL streaming is one of the best ways to gain exposure and become a bigger creator. Two of the biggest current examples are Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. and Rangesh “N3on” Mutama. Speed has been a ...

Dota 2

Team Yandex to win it all? PGL Wallachia Season 9 Finals preview and predictions Michael Hassall The first big event after TI15, PGL Wallachia Season 9, wraps up this Sunday, Sep. 27, and it’s set to be a hell of a show. After a solid week of action, with some surprise eliminations along the way, we’re down to just three teams from the original 16. Team Yandex, LGD Gaming, and Natus Vincere (NAVI) remain, having battled through some big upsets to get there. Yandex are hot ...