It's the opening chapter for more changes in the world of Overwatch

Hero changes are not a new thing in Overwatch. One need only look at Torbjorn and Symmetra as they were back in the day to understand that Blizzard does rework heroes as necessary. And here we are today. In the Overwatch 2 PvP Beta. And after 2 years of being in the works, here are all the Overwatch 2 character changes for the current pool of heroes of Overwatch plus the new hero: Sojourn.

First things first though, let’s go through a quick refresher of the new class passive all heroes got in Overwatch 2.

With that out of the way, let’s head straight to the Hero changes.

The tanks in Overwatch 2 have been super buffed. This is because the PvP games are now 5 vs 5 from Overwatch 1’s 6 vs 6. The removal of 1 tank means the remaining tank is now the focal point of any assault and deserves every bit of respect in terms of their ability to create space.

Total Hitpoints increased from 600 to 650

It’s strange playing as Dva now as she got most of her value as the off-tank hunting down vulnerable supports and out-of-position flankers. In the brave new world of Overwatch 2, the DPS and the supports will have to learn to fight around a Dva that’s mostly there to disrupt enemy formations and delete abilities and ultimates through her Defensive Matrix.

Overall Hitpoints increased from 250 to 450. All of which is health.

Doomfist is now a tank. That alone is pretty big news. But as someone who played as the new Doomfist and someone who’s supported them, Doomfist is very good at disrupting enemies just by Rocket Punching in, drawing attention and Seismic Slamming out of trouble when needed. And with that being said, you see A LOT of Doomfists in the current Beta. Can’t blame them. He is really fun to play with at the moment.

Overall Hitpoints increased from 450 to 500.

Orisa is the new hot tank in Overwatch 2. You can see many players start the match as Orisa and only changing off if the match wasn’t looking good. She is very good at bullying enemies using her new Javelin Spin ability and Ultimate, Terra Surge. The extra burst damage from her Energy Javelin can finish off enemies or force them to think twice about committing to a push.

Overall Hitpoints increased from 500 to 650.

Reinhardt, like every other tank, now has the tank class passive. 30% knockback resistance, 30% less ult charge to the enemy attacking them.

Old Reliable himself remains as solid as ever, if not more in Overwatch 2. Reinhardt is the go-to for any decent tank player. He does all the things he did in the first game, only better now.

Overall Hitpoints increased from 600 to 700. All health.

The Big Hog is very impactful in Overwatch 2. In the hands of the right skillful player, that is. Roadhog’s value lies entirely in his ability to land hooks. And if a player can land hooks and instantly delete a support, that’s pretty much handing a victory to your team for that team fight. Of course, the same applies on the other end. If you cannot land hooks, you might as well switch out before you cost your team the entire match.

Overall Hitpoints Increased from 400 to 550.

Since Sigma hasn’t changed much for the Overwatch 2 Beta, you won’t see him too much in games. Since the Beta started, I’ve only seen a handful of Sigma’s, and those players have been very good with the character. I guess it’s worth knowing how the character stacks up in a 5 vs 5 game, and as the solo and primary tank.

Overall Hitpoint: Increased from 500 to 550.

New Ability: Testa Cannon secondary attack

A good Winston player knows when to jump when to drop their bubble, and when to peel for their support. With the added secondary attack, they have another option than just walking out their bubbles. Of course, the team has to learn to be around Winston and prepare themselves to pounce the moment he does. The Ultimate cost, however, is a bit punishing, in my humble opinion.

Overall Hitpoints increased from 600 to 700.

Look, right now Hammond is in an iffy spot. Unless you are a very good Wreckingball player, you are pretty much throwing… no matter how you think you are “disrupting” the enemy while swinging around a fixed location. Positioning is everything in Overwatch. And in Overwatch 2, it is even more important for a tank.

Overall Hitpoints: Increased from 400 to 475

Zarya is very, very strong in Overwatch 2. Despite having her charge nerfed, she is able to maintain a high charge easily because of the barrier changes. And everyone knows, a fully charged Zarya is something to be feared.

As for damage heroes, Genji, Pharah, Soldier 76, Symmetra, and Torbjorn all did not receive any changes. And among those heroes, only Genji and Soldier 76 are consistent picks. The rest are conditional picks depending on the situation. Or just picked for the fun of it.

Since the changes to the tanks and 5 vs 5 lineup change, damage heroes are more fun to play since they can focus on doing the thing they are designed for, to get kills. In Overwatch 1, damage heroes and tanks used to slam barriers together and that wasn’t fun to play… nor to watch. So, it’s good that we’re finally moving away from such barriers and stuns.

You can tell good Ashe players apart from the way they use their coach gun for mobility purposes and the exact location where their dynamite is going to be before detonating it. In Overwatch 2, she can talk high ground rather reliably and be a threat to the enemy’s backline.

New Ability: A-36 Tactical Grenade

Bastion is very effective in this new world of Overwatch 2. Its pick rate is already going up as more people want to try the reworked character. From my personal experience, when a Bastion is on the field, you’d best bet is to dance around sightlines and hope that the enemy doesn’t have a good Roadhog. For as good as Bastion can potentially be, it is still hard to ignore the fact that Bastion makes for a good hook target.

Cassidy is the hero you don’t want to see when you turn the corner. The cowboy may have lost his flashbang but the revolver is more impactful in a match than ever. Sucks that Deadeye takes longer to build charge though.

I’m going to be completely honest, I have barely come across any Echos in the Overwatch 2 Beta. I don’t know if it’s because of the Duplicate nerf or what. But in all the matches I’ve been to, the DPS player using Echo doesn’t usually stay on Echo for the entirety of the match.

Hanzo is still a common sight in Overwatch 2. The combination of arrow spam and random dragon out of nowhere is still potent. But of course being Hanzo, it’s either feast or famine depending on where the arrows land.

Kind of the fun pick in the Beta, the Junkrats I’ve seen mainly use their mines as a movement tool, and very rarely do they drop the mine and steel trap combination anymore. Guess they weren’t updated to the changes yet.

The Ice Queen herself… well, what can I say? It’s a far different world now that Mei no longer freezes enemies and drives an icicle through their skulls. I kind of miss that Mei, and at the same time, I don’t. You’ll see some Mei’s running around matches but not too many of them.

Reaper is in an OK spot in Overwatch 2. I’m glad that he’s more in line with the Edgelord character that we know and sigh about. With Reaper, you just have to be aware of his location at all times. If he’s gone for even a little bit, chances are, he’s teleported before enemy lines for a PHAT Death Blossom Ultimate.

It might be super early to judge Sorjourn’s effectiveness at the moment. But even at this early stage, she’s making her presence felt. With the right kind of mechanics, she can a handful to deal with as support or opposing damage hero. Her frag potential is currently on another level. Mostly because players aren’t used to dealing with her quite yet.

On paper, Sombra is an interesting character to play at the moment. This is strange because I’ve been on the Beta for a while now and I’ve rarely seen her in matches. Maybe it’s because having one less frontline attacker is detrimental to the team. I don’t know yet. I suppose when I run into a Sombra, she’s going to be very, very good.

Tracer still does Tracer things. But I have felt the nerf on her primary fire. Certain heroes that I used to one clip from a bit of distance actually walk away with health now. Maybe this will encourage Tracer players to take more risks than before.

Overall Hitpoints increased from 175 to 200.

Man… If you have even a half-decent Widow Maker on your team, you are pretty much set for the whole match. Against someone like Widow, it doesn’t matter if you have escape abilities or a passive regen. All it takes is one charged bullet and you’re out from the next minute or so, which is HUGE in team fights. If the enemy doesn’t counter that accordingly, it’s going to be a short match.

Supports are in a weird sport right now. Ever since the change, supports players need to watch their backs at all times. The loss of one whole tank meant that getting picked off is a very real possibility. Positioning has never been more important to a support than it is now in Overwatch 2.

Zenyatta received no changes for the Beta. And from what I’ve experienced through the current Beta, Zenyatta is seeing limited use for the simple fact that he doesn’t have an escape ability like other Supports. If he doesn’t pick off his attacker, it’s pretty much over for Zen.

Anna is as impactful as she’s always has been. Most of her value comes from your ability to land skill shots and Anti-nades. But because she is Anna, she a prime target for snipers like Widow Maker and Hanzo. Be careful not to be forced out of position as Anna, it’s very hard to escape as Zen and Anna in the current Beta of Overwatch.

The best thing Baptiste can provide his team is reliable healing and the occasional Immortality Field. His damage output may have dipped by a little bit but if you were landing shots before the nerf then you’ll be fine with the current version of Baptiste. He is slightly better than Anna at the moment because he has a charged jump ability to get him out of trouble when needed.

Brigitte is all sort of powerful in the right hands. Not only is she somewhat tanky, but she can also create space for herself like no other Support can. Of course, you don’t want to be at the front as Brigitte, but as someone looking after Anna or Zen, Brigitte is incredibly useful. Oh, did I mention that her class passive kicks while she has her shield up? Don’t underestimate her ability to turn the tide of a team battle cause she can carry a fight if given an opening.

You can’t tell that this new version of Overwatch didn’t have Lucio in mind. Not only do we have a support who is very good at keeping themselves alive, but one that can go in and out of the enemy’s backlines for a cheeky pick-off. As long as you have a dedicated healer on the team, Lucio can be a flex pick who excels at multiple roles. Sound Barrier is just icing on top of the cake at this point.

Support Role Passive now works in tandem with Mercy’s passive. The result is an increase in her passive healing by 50% or 22.5 HP per second after not taking damage for 1 second.

Mercy is an interesting pick. She’s the most survivable out of all the other Supports as long as the Mercy player can make snap decisions about her using Guardian Angel on allies. The best thing, this is nothing new to Mercy mains. Even before the removal of one tank, good Mercy players keep track of abilities better than most others on the team. It’s what they’ve done for as long as the character existed in the game.

The most Meta of support picks, Moira does everything you need as a current-day Support in Overwatch 2. Moira has pretty good healing potential, a burst heal that not only heals allies but herself as well, she has a decent drain attack that makes characters like Genji think twice about committing to an attack., and lastly, her Fade is a guaranteed escape bar Zarya’s and Sigma’s grave Ultimates. Interesting fact, the moment she exits Fade, that’s the exact time when the class passive kicks in. Giving her a bit more survivability.

In short, if you have any doubts about which Support to play, just pick Moira, she’s that good in the Beta.

And that’s it for all the hero changes in the Overwatch 2. Some are massive reworks, others are meh, and others didn’t get changes at all. Hopefully, Blizzard addresses this issue and actually makes more sweeping changes across the board. Especially for the support class! They desperately need more love than just a bunch of number changes. (Brigg is really good though. But nothing remotely in the way of a hero rework.)

You can also check out this video by Youtuber Flats where he goes into detail about every Hero change since the Overwatch 2 Alpha.

For more Overwatch 2 content, do check out: