All Hero Changes in Overwatch 2 for an Action-Packed Sequel

Overwatch 2 is coming with huge changes across the board, including a new hero design philosophy that injects a dose of fun and fast-paced action into its battles.

Below, we review all hero changes in Overwatch 2 and the global class updates needed to maintain an overall team balance in its new 5v5 environment.

Let’s get to it!

Overwatch 2 Global Hero Changes

As one of the biggest novelties in Overwatch 2, the hero roster rebalancing was a requested and necessary change on the road to making Overwatch 2 less reliant on hard counters, excessive crowd control abilities, tank heroes, and strong defense.

To compensate for removing one tank hero from the teams’ lineups and promote a wider range of effective picks, greater freedom in team compositions, and more active and aggressive gameplay, heroes and their classes got a fresh infusion of survival buffs.

However, before delving into specific Overwatch 2 character changes, let’s look at the global changes in various classes, hero abilities, and health systems:

• Retain up to 30% Ultimate charge after a hero switch;
• Temporary Shield and Armor now combine into an Overhealth pool (green health bar);
• Damaging Overhealth bars provides Ultimate charge at half the rate.
• Armor (yellow health bar) now reduces incoming damage by 30%;
• Armor no longer reduces damage by a flat -5 amount per hit;
• Only tank heroes can perform stuns or knockbacks now.

To further strengthen each class, the Overwatch 2 reworks also introduced role passives:

• Damage—25% movement and reload speed buff for 2.5 seconds after getting an elimination that can only be refreshed but not stacked;
• Tank—30% less knockback and lower charge rate when healing or damaging a tank;
• Support—15hp/s health regeneration after 1.5 seconds of not taking damage.

Note: The above Overwatch 2 changes may be adjusted in the long term as Blizzard plans to add new features and revise the game balancing as part of its live service approach.

All Hero Changes in Overwatch 2

While every existing hero got an updated visual look and class passives, not all of them were affected by the new balance changes to the same degree. Keep on reading to discover all Overwatch 2 hero changes, from minor HP or weapon buffs to entirely new skill sets:

Ana Changes

• Biotic Rifle—increased magazine size from 12 to 15;
• Biotic Grenade—decreased еffect duration from 4 to 3 seconds;

• Sleep Dart—increased cooldown from 12 to 15 seconds.

Ashe Changes

• B.O.B.’s health has been reduced from 1,200 to 1,000 HP.

Baptiste Changes

• Biotic Launcher Primary Fire—damage increase from 24 to 25 and minimum falloff range increase from 20 to 25;
• Biotic Launcher Secondary Fire—magazine size increase from 10 to 13;
• Regenerative Burst—increased healing from 75 to 100.

Bastion Changes

One of the few heroes that got a rework and major hero changes in Overwatch 2:

• Configuration: Sentry and Configuration: Tank (Ultimate) were replaced;
• Self-Repair has been removed;
• New ability Configuration: Assault—transforms into a slow-moving tank with infinite ammo;
• New Ultimate Configuration: Artillery—becomes immobile and fires up to three artillery shells into the air that fall in predesignated areas;
• Configuration: Recon—weapon damage increase from 20 to 25 with reduced fire rate from 8 to 5 shots, smaller magazine size from 35 to 25, and removed spread;
• New ability A-36 Tactical Grenade—secondary-fire that launches a bouncing bomb that explodes on impact with the enemy or the ground;
• Ironclad—the passive has been re-enabled to provide 20% damage resistance in certain configurations.

Brigitte Changes

• Shield Bash—stun effect removed, knockback effect doubled, reduced cooldown from 7 to 5 seconds, damage increase from 1 to 50, and distance increase from 7 to 12 meters;
• Inspire—can be triggered with Shield Bash with a shorter duration from 6 to 5 seconds.

Cassidy Changes

• Flashbang has been removed;
• New ability Magnetic Grenade—bomb that sticks to enemies for a total of 131 damage;
• Peacekeeper—fire rate of the secondary attack increased by 7.5%;
• Combat Roll—50% damage reduction while rolling;
• Deadeye—40% damage reduction while channeling, duration increased from 6 to 7 seconds with 130 DPS build-up during the first 2 seconds and 260 DPS after that.

D.Va Changes

• Mech health increase from 600 to 650 and normal health from 300 to 350;
• Fusion Cannons—reduced movement penalty from 50% to 40% and spread reduction from 4 to 3.5 degrees;
• Boosters—impact damage increase from 10 to 25;
• Micro Missiles—cooldown reduced from 8 to 7 seconds;
• Call Mech—12% reduction of the Ultimate cost.

Doomfist Changes

Another hero that got major Overwatch 2 ability reworks:

• Has changed classes from Damage to Tank;
• Base health increase from 250 to 450;
• Rising Uppercut has been removed;
• Hand Cannon—pellet damage reduced from 6 to 5, ammo regeneration increase from 0.65 seconds/shot to 0.4 seconds/shot;
• Rocket Punch—damage range reduced from 50–100 to 15–30, wall slam damage from 50-150 to 20-40, max charge time from 1.4 to 1.0 seconds, and added an area effect;
• Seismic Slam—reworked to launch you in the air toward a target area and create a 50-damage shockwave by smashing the ground;
• New ability Power Block—reduces front damage by 80%; 90 blocked damage charges your gauntlet for 50% more powerful Rocket Punch that stuns opponents;
• Meteor Strike—decreased Ultimate damage range from 15–200 to 15–100, but the center impact still deals 300 damage, knockback removed for a 50% slow lasting 2 seconds, and cast time reduction from 1 to 0.5 seconds.

Echo Changes

• Focusing Beam—max DPS reduced from 200 to 175;
• Duplicate—the Ultimate copies a combined total of 300 health (all health sources).

Genji Changes

• Genji remains the same. 

Hanzo Changes

• Storm Arrows—damage reduction from 70 to 65.

Junkrat Changes

• Frag Launcher—projectile size increased from 0.2 to 0.25;
• Steel Trap—damage increase from 80 to 100, and faster projectile from 10 to 15.

Lucio Changes

• Crossfade—self-healing penalty increased from 30% to 60%;
• Sound Barrier—12% Ultimate cost reduction.

Mei Changes

• Endothermic Blaster—now applies a constant 50% movement speed reduction, effect duration reduced from 1 to 0.5 seconds, DPS increase from 55 to 100, and ammo increase from 120 to 150;
• Cryo-Freeze—no longer removes the effects of Sigma’s Gravitic Flux;
• Ice Wall—pillar health decreased from 400 to 250, ability range reduced from 35 to 20 meters;
• Blizzard—15% increase to the Ultimate cost.

Mercy Changes

• Guardian Angel—crouching launches you up in the air, jumping launches you forward or backwards, and you charge a meter the further you travel that increases your jump speed or height;
• Angelic Descent—can slow your ascent speed and can be activated with crouch;
• Regeneration—increases your role passive efficiency by 50%.

Moira Changes

• No changes to Moira

Orisa Changes

Out of all hero changes in Overwatch 2, Orisa’s are the most significant:

• Halt!, Protective Barrier, and Supercharger (Ultimate) were removed;
• Base health and base armor both increased from 200 to 275;
• Fortify—duration increased from 4 to 4.5 seconds and provides 125 extra health and 50% overheat reduction when activated;
• Fusion Driver—now renamed into Augmented Fusion Driver, Orisa’s primary weapon is heat-based with a three-second cooldown after it overheats; deals 12 damage per shot with a 15–25-meter falloff range and a 100% critical hit bonus;
• New ability Energy Javelin—throw a javelin with your secondary fire that impales enemies dealing 60 damage, stunning for 0.2 seconds, and knocking back 6 meters; if enemies collide with a wall, they take extra 40 damage and 0.3 seconds of stun;
• New ability Javelin Spin—spins your javelin for 1.75 seconds to destroy projectiles, gain a 50% movement speed buff, push back enemies, and deal up to 90 damage;
• New Ultimate Terra Surge—gain the Fortify buff, pull in enemies in front of you, slow them by 30%, and deal up to 500 AoE damage depending on the charge duration.

Pharah Changes

• Rocket Launcher—reloads 0.25 seconds after spending the ammo;
• Concussive Blast—30 damage and additional knockback for direct hits.

Reaper Changes

• Hellfire Shotguns—pellet spread increase from 6 to 7 degrees and damage decrease from 6 to 5.4.

Reinhardt Changes

• Base armor and base health increased from 200 to 300 and 300 to 325, correspondingly;
• Steadfast Passive has been removed;
• Barrier Field—health amount and regeneration rate reduced from 1600 to 1200 and 200 to 144 health/second, correspondingly;
• Charge—a 50% increase to the steering rate, but can be cancelled at any time; reduction to pinned enemy damage from 300 to 225, but a lowered cooldown from 10 to 8 seconds;
• Fire Strike—two charges instead of one, but deals 90 damage, down from 100.

Roadhog Changes

• Base health increased from 600 to 700;
• Take a Breather—healing gained increased from 300 to 350;
• Whole Hog—has to be fired manually but cannot be canceled by stuns, and you can use other abilities while it is active.

Sigma Changes

• Base shields have been buffed from 100 to 200;
• Accretion—damage increased from 70 to 100;
• Experimental Barrier—regeneration rate reduction from 120 to 100.

Soldier: 76 Changes

• Heavy Pulse Rifle—shot damage reduced from 20 to 18;
• Sprint—movement speed bonus reduced from 50% to 40%;
• Tactical Visor—allows for critical hits but no longer removes the damage falloff.

Sombra Changes

• Machine Pistol—bullet damage reduced from 8 to 7 and spread limited by 10%;
• Hack—now allows you to see enemies through walls for 8 seconds, stops them from using abilities for 1.75 seconds (down from 5), and has a cooldown period of 4 seconds (down from 8), but takes 0.85 seconds to initiate (up from 0.65);
• Stealth—fade-in time reduced by 50% and allows you to use Hack while stealthed, but you will be revealed while hacking; detection distance has been increased from 2 to 4 meters, and the movement speed boost has been decreased from 65% to 50%;
• Opportunist (Passive)—now also deals 40% extra damage to hacked targets;
• EMP—now also deals damage equal to 40% of your targets’ current health.

Symmetra Changes

• Photon Projector Primary Fire—ammo increased from 70 to 100, but primary fire does not generate ammo any longer; 
• Photon Projector Secondary Fire—projectile speed increased from 25 to 50, size increased from 0.4 to 0.5, ammo cost increased from 7 to 10, max damage reduced from 120 to 90, and charge time increased from 1 to 1.2 seconds;
• Teleporter—build time reduced from 2 to 1 second with a max lifetime of 10 seconds, cooldown increased from 10 to 12 seconds, health reduction from 300 to 200, and range decreased from 30 to 22 meters;
• Sentry Turrets—increased travel speed from 15 to 20 and movement speed enemy debuff reduced from 20% to 15%.

Torbjorn Changes

• Rivet Gun—primary and secondary fire recovery time reduced from 0.6 to 0.55 seconds and 0.8 to 0.7 seconds, correspondingly.

Tracer Changes

• Pulse Pistols—damage reduction from 6 to 5.

Widowmaker Changes

• Base health increased to 200 (from 175).

Winston Changes

• Base armor increased to 200 (from 150);
• Tesla Canon—adds a secondary-fire mode that deals 50 damage for 12 ammo at a max range of 30 meters;
• Barrier Projector—duration reduced from 9 to 8 seconds, but health increased from 650 to 700 and cooldown lowered from 13 to 12 seconds;
• Primal Rage—20% increased Ultimate cost.

Wrecking Ball Changes

• Base armor and base health increased from 100 to 150 and 500 to 550, respectively; 
• Adaptive Shield—radius increased from 8 to 10 meters, and health gained per target raised to 100 health (from 75);
• Roll—36% to the knockback effect.

Zarya Changes

• Base health increased to 250 (from 200) and base shields to 225 (from 200);p
• Particle Barrier and Projected Barrier now share a two-charge system with a 10-second cooldown on ability use and an increased duration from 2.5 to 2 seconds;
• Projected Barrier—teammates cannot be targeted for 2 seconds after use;
• Energy—rate of degeneration increased from 1.8 to 2.2 energy/second.

Zenyatta Changes

• Base shields decrease from 175 to 150;
• Orb of Discord—falloff time when outside of line of sight reduced to 2 seconds (from 3);
• Snap Kick (Passive)—melee damage attacks deal 50% boosted damage with an increased knockback effect.

New Heroes in Overwatch 2

While the 32 heroes outlined above were ported over with various hero changes from Overwatch 1, the sequel launched with one new hero for each of the three classes:

Junker Queen (New Tank Hero)

The undisputable leader of the chaotic Junkertown is an aggressive tank that comes armed with a shotgun, a pet knife, a vicious axe named Carnage, and six abilities:

• Adrenaline Rush (Passive)—the wounds you inflict heal you;
• Scatter Gun—primary-fire pump action shotgun for close-quarters battles;
• Jagged Blade—secondary-fire throwable blade that deals damage over time (DoT), impales enemies and pulls them towards you on its way back;
• Commanding Shout—health (200 for Junker Queen, 50 for allies) and movement speed boost (30%);
• Carnage—axe attack that wounds enemies in front of you and places a DoT;
• Rampage (Ultimate)—forward charge that wounds enemies, places a DoT, and prevents enemy heals.

Kiriko (New Support Hero)

Thanks to her mother's ninjutsu teachings and her grandmother’s healing instructions, Kiriko is as deadly with a blade as she is helpful with her healing talismans:

• Wall Climb—scale walls like Genji and Hanzo;
• Healing Ofuda—primary-fire that channels a burst of healing talismans that seek allies;
• Kunai—secondary-fire thrown projectile that deals increased critical damage;
• Swift Step—teleport to an ally and cleanse most negative effects;
• Protection Suzu—protective charm that cleanses negative effects off allies and makes them briefly invulnerable;
• Kitsune Rush (Ultimate)—a fox spirit rushes forward to provide several team buffs: increased movement, attack speed, and cooldown reductions.

Sojourn (New Damage Hero)

As a brilliant tactician and a fast, precise, and deadly fighter, Sojourn uses her cybernetic augmentations and deadly railgun to help everyone in need:

• Railgun Primary Fire—rapid projectile-based fire mode that generates energy;
• Railgun Secondary Fire—high-damage shot that uses the stored energy;
• Disruptor Shot—AoE energy shot that slows enemies and deals damage over time;
• Power Slide—fast ground slide that can be canceled into a high jump;
• Overclock (Ultimate)—railgun auto-charges briefly before firing piercing shots.

Bottom Line

Now that you know all hero changes in Overwatch 2, it’s time to log back in and test them out for yourself. Thankfully, the new system does not punish players for changing a character before or during a game since the effect of hard counters has been eliminated. So, you can experiment as much as you want without worrying your performance will suffer significantly.