Orisa and Baptiste buffs on Overwatch PTR point to the return of bunker compositions

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After what appeared to be a dry spell for major hero updates on the Overwatch Public Test Region, six heroes have received changes with yesterday’s update. But two buffs in particular have fans asking: Is bunker back?

For those who may be unfamiliar with the composition, bunker first originated with Orisa’s release in 2017. The composition is usually played in conjunction with Bastion and revolves around a central, stationary point, which heavily relies on Orisa’s shield.

When Baptiste was released between the Overwatch League’s stages one and two, many believed the combat medic would encourage teams to run the composition more frequently due to his Immortality Field’s ability. While we did see some teams experiment with bunker, the composition didn’t have as big of an impact as many originally thought it would and was often left behind in favor of GOATS. Blizzard may be looking to change that with the approach of stage three, however.

In yesterday’s PTR patch, the Overwatch developer increased the amount of heal ammo in Baptiste’s Biotic Launcher from 10 to 12 and extended the duration of the combat medic’s Amplification Matrix from eight to 10 seconds.

Baptiste can play a major role in bunker compositions, even though he’s not a necessary component. The combat medic’s Immortality Field provides bunker with a much-needed fall-back when the composition’s main defensive barrier falls or when a pesky Tracer flanks with Pulse Bomb ready. Baptiste’s Amplification Matrix also has its benefits for teams, specifically when used in coordination with a reliably-strong DPS output like Bastion.

Orisa was also buffed in the latest PTR update. The tank hero’s Protective Barrier can now be deployed without interrupting her primary fire’s reload. Orisa’s Fusion Driver notoriously has one of the longest reloads in the game. Having to reload while caught with your shield down can be a nuisance in the heat of a teamfight and a major hindrance to bunker compositions that heavily rely on Orisa’s shield.

Although many Overwatch fans would surely love to see GOATS make its exit at the professional level, it’s still too early to say whether these changes would have enough of an impact to drive bunker compositions onto the stage. But given these buffs, it’s safe to say players will see more bunker compositions in their ranked games if the changes go live.

Until then, fans can try out the new and enhanced bunker and review its impact with the game’s newest replay system.