Mauga already getting nerfed in Overwatch 2

Olivia Richman Published 12/12/2023

An Overwatch 2 update had just one single focus, nerfing Mauga. Does this mean that players who felt the new tank was OP were correct after all? Here’s what changed about Mauga.

Mauga is the latest tank hero in Overwatch 2, a Samoan soldier that’s known for his brute strength and cutting sarcasm. But a lot of players felt that he was a bit oppressive over the last few weeks due to the amount of damage he does while being a bit indestructible.

Overwatch 2 December 12 patch nerfs Mauga

Here are the full patch notes for this update:

MAUGA

Incendiary and Volatile Chainguns

• Chaingun damage reduced from 5 to 4
• The number of shots with the Incendiary Chaingun to ignite enemies increased from 10 to 15

Cage Fight

• Ultimate duration reduced from 10 to 8 seconds

“Mauga is intended to be an aggressive, high damage output tank as he offers less in defense to his team compared with other tank options and doesn’t have great mobility. We’re lowering Mauga’s weapon damage in general, which will help with some of this where it can feel extreme at times,” developers wrote on Reddit.

While he has been doing a lot of damage, developers noted that he’s not without his counters. They pointed out that Sigma and D.Va have an advantage over Mauga along with Roadhog, Junker Queen, and Ramattra. Zarya and Reinhardt may not be the best countering tank and Orisa is the worst option apparently.

They explained: “We’ll have to see how this develops over time as there’s always a learning curve for new heroes. Shooting both guns is not always more effective due to the large spread and more random nature of it. Learning when to use each firing mode to your advantage is part of the fun. Generally, if enemies are further than 15 meters or so you’ll want to use the alternating primary/secondary fire.”

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.

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