Support heroes see big changes in new Overwatch 2 beta patch

Olivia Richman Published 05/05/2022

The first week of the Overwatch 2 PvP beta has come to an end and Blizzard has gathered feedback from participating players to create the first and only patch for this testing period. Many bugs were addressed and heroes were reworked, but the most significant changes were saved for Overwatch 2’s support heroes.

Almost every support hero in Overwatch 2 saw a tweak in the beta patch, the first attempt to fix fans’ concerns that support heroes are just not viable or exciting in the current meta. Blizzard developers promised changes to existing support heroes’ kits and even create new support heroes for Overwatch 2. Meanwhile, developers wanted to address some of the initial issues with the existing support heroes in the Overwatch 2 beta.

Support hero changes in Overwatch 2 beta patch notes

Lucio

The new support passive made Lucio incredibly powerful when it came to survivability. Support heroes now have a passive where they heal by 50%. Combined with Lucio’s Crossfade, which gives a big healing burst, Lucio was starting to feel invincible. To better balance Lucio, his self-healing penalty for his Crossfade was increased from 30% to 60%.

Baptiste

Baptiste was underperforming. Since teams aren’t as grouped up in the newly aggressive Overwatch 2 meta, Baptiste’s healing abilities weren’t as useful. Developers increased the healing power of his Biotic Launcher’s healing ammo. With an increase from 10 to 13, Baptiste will be able to do more when his teammates are spread out.

Ana

With one less tank available on each team, Ana’s Biotic Grenade was starting to become too effective. Developers decided to reduce the ability’s duration. To make up for this, her Biotic Rifle’s ammo was increased from 12 to 15, allowing her to sustain her healing shots for longer periods of time.

Brigitte

Brigitte had the stun removed from her Shield Bash for Overwatch 2. Developers noticed that this made it difficult to tell when Brigitte lands the move successfully. The knockback has now been doubled so that its not only easier to see the ability in action, but it also feels “more satisfying” to land the ability.

Zenyatta gets new passive buff in Overwatch 2 beta

Seen as being generally squishy throughout his time in Overwatch, Zenyatta hasn’t been able to keep up with the aggressive and close-range combat of Overwatch 2. Zenyatta is often flanked in the beta, prompting developers to add a new passive called Snap Kick. Snap Kick increase his quick melee damage by 50% and significantly increases its knockback. This will give Zenyatta more space, keeping enemies at a safer range.

“We think this new passive will be a fun adjustment to his kit,” developers said. “But we also want this change to acknowledge community concerns. We understand 5v5 has made support heroes feel more vulnerable, and we wanted to give Zenyatta tools to help create space between him and enemies.”

Zenyatta’s base shields were also increased from 150 to 175, giving the support hero some extra survivability.

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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