While the jury is still out on Overwatch 2, early previews of the game’s recent Closed Alpha have confirmed a number of Hero alterations that will likely change the way you look at your favorite (and least favorite) characters.
Even though Overwatch 2‘s new Hero characters have been stealing much of the attention so far, it’s really the various buffs, nerfs, and reworks to the game’s existing roster of Heroes that will likely have the biggest impact on the game in its earliest days. After all, Overwatch 2 is more of an expansion than a sequel, which means that a lot of fans are going to have to readjust their expectations regarding what the current members of the Overwatch roster are (and aren’t) capable of.
So while there’s going to be much more to say about Overwatch 2‘s Hero changes as the game progresses, here’s a rundown of all of the changes that have been discovered so far.
Overwatch 2: Every Hero Change
Doomfist
The first thing many long-time Overwatch fans will notice when they start Overwatch 2 is the fact that Doomfist (the longtime scourge of the DPS roster) is now a tank. It seems that the character’s long-awaited rework ended with him joining an entirely new class.
Here’s a visual breakdown of everything new about the tank version of Doomfist:
As you can see, Doomfist retains many of his key abilities but will no longer be able to deal as much damage with them as he did in the past. It seems that the goal is to make him a much more mobile tank comparable to Winston or Wrecking Ball. You’re still looking to jump into the fray as Doomfist in order to disrupt enemy teams, but you’ll no longer be able to do quite as much damage while you’re there (at least not as easily as before).
Doomfist’s new Power Block ability is undoubtedly the most fascinating part of his reworked kit. While that new shield isn’t big enough to protect the rest of your party, it will allow Doomfist to get closer to the fray and absorb some extra damage while charging up his Rocket Punch ability. That “absorb damage to increase your damage” idea has long been one of Zarya’s defining features, though it sounds like Doomfist’s version of that basic concept won’t be as versatile. It’s really just there to enhance the effectiveness of one of his key abilities rather than boost his universal damage output.
Orisa
While Orisa has long been one of Overwatch’s most interesting shield tank options, her lack of mobility and limited offensive kit meant that she was kind of tricky to properly utilize outside of specific situations. Well, it seems that the Overwatch team is determined to make Orisa just a little more versatile than that.
Here’s a visual breakdown of everything new about Orisa in Overwatch 2:
As you can see, the biggest changes to Orisa involve the abilities she lost. Now that Orisa is no longer able to generate a protective barrier, you’re no longer going to be able to rely on her as one of Overwatch‘s few true shield tanks. That’s a big deal.
Orisa’s Energy Javelin is really the key to her new kit. It’s basically a lightning spear that can seriously ruin the day of anyone who gets hit by it. That ability (and the Javelin Spin ability that goes with it) allows Orisa to deal with close-range threats in ways that just weren’t available to her before.
As for Orisa’s new Ultimate, it’s basically a gravitational pull similar to Zarya’s Ultimate. The big differences between the two are that Orisa’s Terra Surge ability doesn’t “trap” enemies (they can move away from Orisa as quickly as they’re able to do so) and can deal direct damage. It’s kind of an odd change, but it complements Orisa’s reworked primary fire ability (which deals more damage the closer she is to her target).
Overall, it’s clear that Orisa was designed to be much more effective at closer ranges and a much more interesting “pushing the point” tank option. Players seem split so far regarding the overall effectiveness of her reimagined kit, but it’s certainly interesting.
