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Latest Overwatch update feels great for tank players

Many heroes in this category were buffed and a new one is joining the game.
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If you’re an Overwatch tank player, it’s time to put a smile on your face. Many of the heroes in this category are stronger after the Aug. 13 update and Sigma has just joined the club.

Reinhardt got a new passive ability called Steadfast, which reduces knockback effects by 30 percent. That means whenever he’s affected by that kind of crowd control, such as Brigitte’s Whip Shot, Lucio’s Sonic Amplifiers, and Wrecking Ball’s movement with Grappling Claw, he won’t be sent flying back as much as other heroes. That will turn Reinhardt into a great pick for control maps, such as Nepal and Ilios, where these other characters can get multiple kills with knockbacks.

While Wrecking Ball won’t have much luck trying to knock Reinhardt back, it’ll at least be a bigger threat with his ultimate. Wrecking Ball’s mines now travel 20 percent faster than before and explode sooner, which means they spread in a larger area and cover more ground, making its proximity mines even trickier to deal with.

D.Va got an indirect buff. While all ultimates in the game now cost 12 percent more to charge, her Pilot ultimate to recall her mech costs 12 percent less, which means she’ll charge it as fast as in the previous update. That change won’t affect her Pilot form, but her mech’s Self-Destruct is still included in this ultimate cost change.

Orisa was the only unlucky tank to be nerfed in this patch, but it’s not big enough to make her unpickable. The cooldown of her Protective Barrier increased from eight to nine seconds, which is a 12-percent increase. Tank players might take some time to adjust to this new cooldown, but it should have little effect on how good of a main tank she is.

All of these changes are now live on the Overwatch servers.


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Author
Bhernardo Viana
Guides writer and strategist working in the gaming industry for over 9 years, with works published on Destructoid, Prima Games, ESPN, and more. A fan of Pokémon since I was 6 and an avid Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch player. Now hooked by Balatro and working on AFK Journey.