Next Overwatch 2 balance patch leaked early, will go into effect before OWL playoffs

The next Overwatch 2 balance patch was leaked, and it includes changes to Sombra, Genji, Zarya, and D.Va in order to tone down some of the game’s most powerful heroes so far. Absent from the patch leaks is any mention of Sojourn.

GGRecon released an article detailing information about the upcoming patch, what heroes are affected, as well as the reaction of Overwatch League pros to the news. The patch will first go live on the Overwatch League practice servers ahead of playoffs, so teams can scrim with the new adjustments.

The OWL playoffs will be played on the October patch.

In the Overwatch League’s history, balance changes have often completely shifted the meta. In 2020, for example, buffs to Genji changed nearly every team’s strategy for the Summer Showdown, and the teams that had the best Genji players powered through that portion of the season. It’s possible a balance patch like this could shift the meta again.

This will also be the first balance patch for Overwatch 2 that isn’t just based on OWL play. The heroes reported as getting changes in the leak are ones many players have been complaining about across social media since the game’s release a few weeks ago.

Here are the leaked patch notes:

Leaked Overwatch 2 October patch notes

Sombra

• Hack ability lockout duration reduced from 1.75 to 1.5 seconds
• Hacked enemies are no longer valid targets for hacking for the duration of the effect
• Hacked damage multiplier reduced from 40 to 25%

Genji

• Maximum ammo reduced from 30 to 24
• Shuriken damage reduced from 29 to 27

Zarya

• Barrier duration reduced from 2.5 to 2 seconds
• Barrier cooldown increased from 10 to 11 seconds

D.Va

• Fusion Cannon spread increased from 3.5 to 3.75
• Boosters impact damage reduced from 25 to 15

What would these changes mean?

Sombra’s changes are overall a big nerf, but likely an appropriate measure. Hacking an enemy would only last 1.5 seconds after this patch, which might not seem that significant on paper, but considering how much can happen in 0.25 of a second in the middle of an Overwatch fight, this will tone her down.

The second change to Sombra ensures enemies can’t be continuously hacked over and over. Many tank players especially have been expressing frustration about not being able to play the game due to how debilitating the repeated hacks have been.

In a game that promised a better tanking experience with less crowd control, Sombra’s hack seems a bit overpowered now.

The reduction of the hack damage multiplier also makes being hacked in the first place a bit less damning for the target. Sombra won’t be able to shoot them down as quickly now, so getting hacked doesn’t have to automatically mean a death sentence.

As for Genji, his changes basically serve to reduce his overall damage output. Genji has had a lot of changes to his damage numbers in the six years since Overwatch came out, and it seems like Blizzard has to adjust them once again to put the ninja in a good spot. Having less shurikens in the first place should make Genji a less intimidating opponent, though there are notably no changes to his Dragonblade, which is one of the best ultimates in the game.

Zarya has been a force to be reckoned with on the ranked ladder, with nearly every player in the top ten on the tank leaderboard having her as their most-played hero. The biggest issue has been her bubbles, which are a key part of her kit, but Blizzard has likely noticed they are a bit overpowered. The bubbles now only last 2 seconds, and the cooldown time needed for Zarya to apply another bubble on either a target or herself has increased. 

Though there are no changes to her main weapon, these barrier changes will likely mean she has a harder time charging up her particle cannon in the first place, but some players may still feel like this isn’t enough of a change.

D.Va has also been one of the strongest tanks in the first few weeks of Overwatch 2’s public life, with a much better presence as a solo tank than some seasoned players had anticipated.

If this patch goes through, the spread on her Fusion Cannon will be larger, meaning she will do less focused damage and therefore likely less damage overall. Blizzard has also decided, according to the leaks, to reduce the damage done by her Boosters, meaning if D.Va speeds over an enemy to run into them, they won’t take nearly as much damage as before. This overall reduces her damage capabilities without decreasing her mobility and presence as a tank.

These changes could definitely shuffle up the Overwatch League meta, but time will tell if the October update actually releases with these changes or not.