New Overwatch update buffs Genji and Hanzo, nerfs Reinhardt and Soldier: 76

A new patch has been implemented alongside Overwatch’s Anniversary event, bringing some interesting changes to a number of heroes—and it could end up having a big impact on how they’re played.

Most of these changes were in testing on the PTR for the past few weeks, and the changes have made it to the live servers with little to no alterations on what was being tested.

Genji

• Removed the attack delay from Genji’s wall climbing ability, allowing him to engage with enemies immediately after he finishes climbing

Hanzo

• Removed the attack cooldown from Hanzo’s wall climbing ability, allowing him to engage with enemies immediately after he finishes climbing

Storm Bow

• Increase charge speed by 10 percent
• Charged arrows now maintain their charge after climbing a wall, provided the button is continuously held

Both of the Shimada brothers get a pretty cool change that seems minor but can be lethal in the right hands. Basically, they are now able to use their wall-climbing ability better to their advantage by being able to fire right away.

This change coupled with the decreased draw time on his bow makes Hanzo even more dangerous. He can now charge up an arrow, climb up a wall and fire the arrow instantly at unsuspecting foes. Basically, he’ll be able to do damage while quickly peeking and avoiding fire.

Orisa

Fusion Driver

• Damage reduced by 9 percent

Protective Barrier

• Cooldown reduced from 12 seconds to 8 seconds

These changes aim to make Orisa more of the frontline anchor tank that she was designed to be, and the decreased cooldown on her barrier is a pretty significant change. She will now be able to lay it down and protect her team at a much more frequent and consistent rate.

Reaper

Wraith Form

• Ammo is now entirely refilled when Wraith Form is used

Since Reaper’s Wraith form is typically used as an escape mechanism, this change will give him the ability to better defend himself once he exits the invulnerable phase. No longer will he have to reload when exiting Wraith, and this change should help his survivability somewhat.

Reinhardt

Earthshatter

• Effective height has been lowered from 3 meters to 2 meters
• The height threshold of objects that Earthshatter can “climb” has been lowered from 3 meters to 2 meters, making Earthshatter less likely to climb tall objects as it moves along the ground.

This is more of a fix than a nerf, but Earthshatter had the tendency to hit enemies that were above its hitbox. This should now make the ultimate more grounded in its usage.

Soldier: 76

Heavy Pulse Rifle

• Bullet damage decreased from 20 to 19

Blizzard said that Soldier’s damage output was making him a must-pick, so they’re bringing it down a tad. The subtraction seems minor but it could have a bigger effect on the meta than most expect.

These changes are all currently live, along with Overwatch Anniversary, so it’s time to log in and test them out to see how the changes shake things up.