Reaper is getting buffed on the Overwatch PTR and could he actually be good now?

Is Overwatch’s edgiest hero finally a viable pick? Well, not yet, but he could be soon.

In this so called golden age of Overwatch where GOATS reigns king, surely “Mr. anti-tank” would be the perfect DPS? Nope. Reaper is great in gold, and just fine in plat, but he’s nothing special. He still gets trampled by the three tank composition we’ve become accustomed to seeing—much like anyone else.

In one fell swoop, Jeff Kaplan and the Overwatch team have answered our prayers. GOATS is dead (maybe), and Reaper has ascended. It’s too early to say if the update will make it through to the live servers, with the Overwatch PTR susceptible to changes, but there’s more than a good chance we’ll see our man in black in a strong position again.

Reaper has had his passive considerably buffed, increasing his lifesteal from 30 percent to 50 percent of his damage dealt. One of Reaper’s defining mechanics is his passive, allowing him to get up in the face of his enemies, but 30 percent lifesteal wasn’t nearly enough to sustain him. He’d always fall short, and be easily picked off, as soon as his Wraith Form ended.

Fifty percent is a completely different story. He’ll be particularly effective versus tanks, and not only that, he’ll be able to duel, and overall be a much more slippery target. Reaper is already annoying for the likes of Winston. The tanky gorilla can barely stand toe-to-toe him, only just tickling him with his Tesla Cannon. With the addition of 20 percent more lifesteal, Winston won’t stand a chance.

It’s still unlikely that we’ll see a whole lot of him at the very top of competitive play, and it’s hard to imagine him suddenly being a contested pick in the Overwatch League. But he’s definitely going to be a much more rounded and reliable hero. If he’s strong in gold now, he’ll be close to unstoppable in the upcoming Overwatch patch.