Blizzard backtracks on major Overwatch balance change just 2 weeks after adding it in

The launch of Overwatch 2 marked a few significant changes for Blizzard Entertainment’s team-based shooting game franchise last October. Among the biggest, though, was the removal of many crowd control abilities for non-tank heroes as the game transitioned to five-vs-five play.

With the start of season five, Blizzard reversed course and reintroduce a bit more crowd control for a pair of DPS heroes: Mei and Cassidy. Just two weeks later though, the game’s lead hero designer Alec Dawson said the team is rolling back some of these changes to make those abilities to be less powerful.

“Mei and Cassidy adjustments are both in response to how their kits have been playing since S5 changes,” Dawson said today. “We’re pulling back a bit here on their CC additions and will continue to monitor. Finding more of a middle ground for Mei, damage going up on primary and slow going down. … Cassidy’s Magnetic Grenade will have a slightly lower seeking radius and homing duration.”

The adjustments coming to both heroes will be a part of a hotfix this week, not the larger mid-cycle patch set for next month. And as a part of the hotfix, Lifeweaver will also get yet another buff to his kit in the form of more damage to his Thorn Volley.

Immediately upon the start of the new season, many players took note of Cassidy’s freshly overpowered Magnetic Grenade. With a new movement-hindering effect and an increased projectile range, what was previously a last resort means of self-defense was turned into a way to slay enemies from around buildings and across maps.

Related: Cassidy’s overpowered Magnetic Grenade needs a serious nerf, and this impossible play proves why

Meanwhile, Mei’s primary fire getting a significantly enhanced slowing effect created some concerns of its own as a potentially powerful tool for a hero that is already heavily used in professional play as well as Brawl compositions.

These hotfixes seem to fit the somewhat typical course of action for Blizzard. It’s not uncommon for the developer to overtune an ability in a balance patch and then tone it back later on. The timing for these changes, however, seems slightly odd because it’s two weeks after the changes were made, but two weeks before the mid-cycle patch, suggesting Blizzard perhaps felt the need to move quickly due to feedback from players.

Update June 29 1:57pm CT: The hotfix, which went live on Wednesday, June 28, had the following balance changes for Mei and Cassidy respectively:

Cassidy

• Magnetic Grenade’s seeking radius was lowered to 1.3 meters, down from 1.5.
• Magnetic Grenade’s homing duration was lowered to .75 seconds, down from one.

Mei

• Endothermic Blaster primary fire maximum slow applied was reduced to 40 percent, down from 50 percent.
• Endothermic Blaster primary fire damage per second was increased to 70, up from 55.
• Deep Chill’s maximum slow applied was reduced to 65 percent, down from 75 percent.