Is Reaper being removed from Overwatch 2?

Overwatch 2 has a massive roster of heroes it has assembled over the years but one of the most iconic, and oldest, is Reaper. Given the character’s tenure, rumors they were being completely dumped probably left you as surprised as it did me. Of course, like with most things, rumors you read on the internet aren’t always what they seem.

Is Reaper getting removed from Overwatch?

You can relax, Reaper is not being removed from Overwatch 2, as you’d expect the source of this rumor is simply trolling.

Initially, the idea that Blizzard was planning to drop its ultra-popular hero Reaper came from a viral TikTok video. Knockknockow posted a short video to the platform early on Monday, Aug. 7 pretending to read an official forum post that claimed the hero was being phased out—fortunately, this was just a prank.

The post, dubbed “Farewell to Reaper,” said that with Season Six, Invasion, Reaper was being removed for “development and balance considerations.”

While some caught onto the fact the information wasn’t true by checking official forums and finding no such post, others were fooled into thinking big changes were coming.

Related: Diehard Overwatch fans beg devs to add Reaper buffs teased seven years ago

It wouldn’t make sense right? Reaper has been a favorite since the very first Overwatch debuted and many players have put together quite a collection of skins for them. Removing the hero at this point would be some of the worst optics Blizzard could have in a franchise that has already strongly frustrated its community countless times.

For now, the days of Reaper showing up in your lobby will continue.