Overwatch 2 Patch Notes Bring The Biggest Stadium Changes Yet

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The recent Overwatch 2 update introduces substantial modifications to its Stadium game mode, including alterations to the mercy rule, revisions to item pricing, the arrival of a new character named Freja, and adjustments to hero balance. These changes are outlined in the patch notes, which you can find below.

In this stadium, there’s a rule known as “mercy,” which means if one team has a substantial financial lead and wins three consecutive rounds, that team instantly emerges victorious. However, Blizzard points out that the requirement of a 15,000 unit difference in cash between teams to activate this rule was causing games to drag on unnecessarily when they should have ended earlier.

To enhance the efficiency of the mercy rule, Blizzard has reduced the required cash gap to activate it from its previous level to just 10,000 units of cash. They’ve also mentioned that they will monitor this adjustment closely and may consider further modifications to the mercy rule in the future.

In Stadium mode, modifications have been made such that a supplementary cash reward is given when both teams possess less money than anticipated, and the number of competitive points awarded for matches increases.

It seems that Stadium is undergoing substantial modifications, with a focus on adjusting the price and energy output of specific items. According to Blizzard, an excessive accumulation of Weapon Power or Ability Power has become too prevalent, overshadowing other item choices. To encourage diversity in item selection, Blizzard has raised the cost or decreased the effectiveness of some problematic items, while simultaneously enhancing weaker options to make them more appealing.

In the game Stadium, it’s now possible for Freja to be played in the current mode. However, Reinhardt and Soldier: 76 have undergone some tweaks. The force of Soldier: 76’s Helix Rocket has been weakened following a reduction in the damage of its Cratered power, which now only deals 15% of its previous damage when it explodes. Reinhardt, on the other hand, has received the most changes. To balance out the increased effectiveness of his Fire Strike ability in core Overwatch, some adjustments have been made to the Rocket Strike item. Additionally, changes have been made to the Smashing power to lessen the impact of Reinhardt’s Melee damage build that Blizzard considers as “performing too consistently.

Hey there fellow gamer! In the latest update for Overwatch 2, while it seems like most tweaks are geared towards Stadium, they didn’t forget about us in standard modes. Reinhardt’s Fire Strike got an upgrade – the projectile speed is zippier now and the recovery time has been cut back. On the flip side, Freja, our newest recruit, got a slight adjustment on her Quick Dash ability. They’re dialing down Sombra’s invisibility to make it easier for us to spot her, but giving Hanzo a boost with his primary fire. Pharah’s favorite moves, Drift Thrusters and Concussive Implosion perks, are getting toned down, among other changes they’ve made. Keep an eye on the battlefield!

Here are the details of the modifications made in the most recent update for Overwatch 2 during Season 16. This update also includes a new collaboration with Street Fighter 6 and the reintroduction of an Overwatch Classic playlist, which takes the game back to its state from October 2020. Blizzard has also released their plan for the development of Overwatch 2 Stadium mode, providing insights into the heroes, maps, and other elements that will be incorporated in future seasons.

The goal is to maintain a clear, engaging, and easy-to-understand explanation while still conveying the same meaning as the original text.

Overwatch 20 May 20 Patch Notes

General Updates

Player Report Tool

  • Players can now receive an instant notification if a player is already actioned.
  • Prior to this feature, reporting a player that had already been banned or suspended would not result in any additional information. The Instant Reporting Feedback feature will immediately inform the player of the fact that banned or suspended players have been actioned when they are reported.

Hero Updates

Tank

Hazard

In this update, we’ve decided to make Hazard climb faster, which aligns better with his slow, tank-like image in the game. However, there were issues when trying to chase or escape from enemies due to his sluggish speed. So, we’re improving how swiftly he can leap over obstacles like ledges. Furthermore, we’re enhancing Anarchic Zeal’s ability to steal life force as its current power wasn’t strong enough for effective use.

Vault – Passive

  • Ledge climb animation time reduced from 0.6 to 0.4 seconds.

Anarchic Zeal – Major Perk

  • Spike Guard’s Lifesteal is increased from 25% to 40%.
Reinhardt

Game Developer Notes: Reinhardt performs consistently throughout the game, but his efficiency decreases significantly at higher skill levels. To enhance reliability, we’re boosting the speed and quickness of Fire Strike, especially for long-range use.

Fire Strike – Ability 2

  • Projectile speed increased from 25 to 30 meters per second.
  • Recovery time reduced from 0.63 to 0.45 seconds.

Damage

Freja

In simpler terms, the developer notes suggest that Freja’s win-rate has increased because players are getting used to her abilities. To balance this out, they plan to slightly increase the cooldown time for her Quick Dash move, which should decrease her time in the air and lessen the frequency of explosive bolts she fires.

Quick Dash

  • Cooldown increased from 3.5 to 4 seconds.
Genji

Shuriken – Primary and Secondary Fire

  • Ammo reduced from 30 to 24.
  • Projectile speed increased from 60 to 75.
Hanzo

We’re making changes to Hanzo because he hasn’t been performing as well lately. His bow draw speed is being returned to its quicker initial value. As for the Sonic Disruption skill, it’s not usually chosen, but extending its duration will make it more beneficial and easier to manage a health pack.

Storm Bow – Primary Fire

  • Draw time reduced from 0.8 to 0.72 seconds.

Sonic Disruption – Minor Perk

  • Health pack hack time increased from 12 to 30 seconds.
Pharah

Developer note: The Drift Thrusters and Concussive Implosion abilities have been overly effective at causing enemy eliminations. These changes aim to provide more chances for opponents to respond when facing these skill sets during combat.

Drift Thrusters – Minor Perk

  • Movement speed while using Barrage reduced by 20%.

Concussive Implosion – Major Perk

  • Distance pulled reduced by 50%.
Reaper

Developer notes: To make it smoother when switching between them, we’re synchronizing the activation of Dire Triggers with Reaper’s main gunfire.

Dire Triggers – Major Perk

  • Recovery reduced from 0.7 to 0.5 seconds.
Soldier: 76

Comment from the developer: The arrangement of buttons for the Stim Pack was tricky to engage during fights. Assigning it to the Weapon Swap function enhances the control setup, and eliminating its anti-healing property reduces the harshness of using it.

Stim Pack – Major Perk

  • Anti-heal removed. Now deals 75 self-damage on use.
  • Is now activated by using Weapon Swap.
Sombra

The developers have noted that the invisibility feature can be challenging for opponents, so they are expanding the opportunities for a response. As a result, Sombra will now remain in stealth mode for a longer duration before exiting and disappearing after receiving damage.

Translocator – Ability 2

  • Fade in time increased from 0.15 to 0.3 seconds.
  • Stealth reveal duration on taking damage increased from 1 to 1.3 seconds.
Widowmaker

In simpler terms, the developer notes that Widowmaker tends to perform better based on the specific map she’s on. With hero bans limiting her effectiveness, they aim to make her useful in a broader range of scenarios.

Widow’s Kiss – Primary Fire

  • Maximum spread reduced from 3 to 2 degrees.
  • Damage increased from 13 to 14.

Deadly Deux

  • Venom Mine’s bonus damage increased from 50% to 100%.

Support

Illari

Developer note: Illari frequently needs to advance into high-risk locations for efficient healing. Expanding the reach of her healing beam will grant her greater freedom in positioning herself and supporting her team, reducing potential risks.

Solar Rifle – Secondary Fire

  • Range increased from 15 to 20 meters.
Lifeweaver

Developer notes: Using Thorn Volley remains excessively expensive in terms of opportunity cost compared to consistently activating Healing Blossom. To make alternating between damage and healing less penalizing, we’re enhancing the auto-charge feature.

Healing Blossom – Primary Fire

  • Auto-Charge rate increased by 25%.

Superbloom – Major Perk

  • The number of hits to trigger reduced from 20 to 16.

Stadium Updates

Mercy Rule

  • Now triggers when the cash disparity between the teams is at 10,000 or more (down from 15,000).

In our observations, it seems that many games ending at a score of 3-0 aren’t activating the Mercy Rule as often as they arguably should. We plan to monitor this closely and explore potential adjustments to the Mercy Rule mechanism in the upcoming revisions.

Round Completion Cash

As a gamer, I’ve got some exciting news! Now, when a round ends and all players on both teams have less cash than anticipated, we’re giving everyone an extra boost to their Round Completion Cash. The bonus amount is the same for each player, so everyone has a fair chance to level up faster!

Competitive Rewards

  • Competitive points for winning a match has been increased to 20 per match.

Tank

Reinhardt

Game designer notes: To balance out the power increase in Reinhardt’s Fire Strike ability in Overwatch’s Core version, we’re reducing the explosive capacity of his Fire Strike build and making sure Fire Strike reaches its maximum speed consistently. Furthermore, we’re adjusting Reinhardt’s Melee build to make it easier for opponents to counter, as it is currently too effective given the high reward it offers.

Smashing – Power

  • Reduced Move Speed per stack to 1% (down from 2%).
  • Reduced Life Steal per stack to 3% (down from 5%).
  • Increased maximum stacks to 10 (up from 5).
  • Reduced duration to 2s (down from 3s).

To Me, My Friends! – Power

  • Increased healing based on Max Life to 4% (up from 3%).

Wilhelmwagen – Power

  • Decreased healing from damage mitigated to 5% (down from 15%).

Rocket Strike – Epic Hero Ability Item

  • Decreased Fire Strike Projectile Speed to 25% (down from 50%).
  • Decreased Ability Power to 10% (down from 20%).

Chimera’s Maw – Rare Hero Ability Item

  • Decreased Ability Power to 5% (down from 10%).

Damage

Freja
  • Added to the Stadium Hero Roster

Cyclone – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • When you use Updraft, fire a Take Aim bolt at your crosshair.

Seekerpoint – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • When Take Aim bolt sticks an enemy, automatically fire 3 additional crossbow shots at them that deal 66% reduced damage.

Seismic Shot – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • Take Aim explosion radius is increased by 33%. Double this if the bolt is stuck to a target.

Thread the Needle – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • Take Aim bolts pierce enemies. Additional explosions deal 66% reduced damage.

Deep Pockets – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • When you use an ability, restore 50% of your Max Ammo.

Forager – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • For 2 seconds after using Quick Dash. Revdraw Crossbow hits heal you for 3% of your Max Life.

Peak Performance – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • While firing Revdraw Crossbow your fall speed is decreased by 80%.

Redux – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • Revdraw Crossbow hits against targets stuck by a Take Aim bolt or Bola Shot reduce the cooldown of your abilities by 5% and refunds 1 ammo.

Volley à Deux – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • Every fifth Revdraw Crossbow shot fires an additional 2 bolts in a spread that deal 50% reduced damage.

Lille Fælde – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • After using Updraft, your next Take Aim while airborne fires a Bola Shot that deals 60% reduced damage instead of an explosive bolt.

So Cooked – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • Bola Shot’s damaging zone deals 50% more damage and lingers for 3 seconds. Bola shot eliminations count toward Bounty Hunting.

Mighty Gust – Power

  • New Stadium Power.
  • Updraft launches a wind blast toward your crosshair, knocking back enemies and dealing 40 ability damage.

Tracker Tag – Rare Hero Weapon Item

  • New Rare Hero Weapon Item.
  • 30% Max Ammo.
  • When Take Aim bolt sticks to an enemy, increase your Attack Speed by 20% for 3 seconds.

Slipstream Scarf – Rare Hero Weapon Item

  • New Rare Hero Weapon Item.
  • 25 Health.
  • 5% Weapon Power.
  • 25% Quick Dash Distance.

Portable Zipline – Epic Hero Weapon Item

  • New Epic Hero Weapon Item.
  • 15% Weapon Power.
  • Eliminations reset both charges of Quick Dash cooldown.

Windwalker Boots – Rare Hero Ability Item

  • New Rare Hero Ability Item.
  • 25 Health.
  • 5% Cooldown Reduction.
  • 20% Updraft Height.

Magnetic Maelstrom – Epic Hero Ability Item

  • New Epic Hero Ability Item.
  • 15% Ability Power.
  • Bola Shot pulls in nearby enemies even when it misses.

Hunter’s Mark – Rare Hero Survival Item

  • New Rare Hero Survival Item.
  • 25 Health.
  • Enemies with a Bounty of 75- or more are revealed to you within 40 meters. Eliminating them grants 250 additional Stadium Cash.

Aeroweave Cloak – Rare Hero Survival Item

  • New Rare Hero Survival Item.
  • 25 Health.
  • 100% Take Aim Slowed Momentum Duration.

Tourniquet – Rare Hero Survival Item

  • New Rare Hero Survival Item.
  • 25 Health.
  • After using Updraft, reset Quick Dash and gain 50 Overhealth for 5 seconds.

Toxin Tips – Epic Hero Survival Item

  • New Epic Hero Survival Item.
  • 50 Health.
  • Take Aim bolts sticks and explosions slow enemies by 30% but takes 1 second longer to explode.
Soldier: 76

Developer note: The current setup for Soldier: 76’s Helix Rockets is dealing a lethal blow too frequently. To lessen its powerful impact, we’re going to slightly lower the damage it inflicts.

Cratered – Power

  • Reduced increased Explosion Damage to 15% (down from 25%)

General Items

Items

Game Design Note: Excessive accumulation of Weapon Power or Ability Power is overly common, limiting the exploration of other equipment choices. To encourage a broader range of item selections and diminish builds that heavily depend on rapid burst damage through stacking Weapon or Ability Power, we’re reducing their cost efficiency. Furthermore, we’re enhancing some underperforming items to provide more balanced gameplay.

Champion’s Kit – Epic Ability Item

  • Increased cost to 14000 (up from 13500).
  • Decreased Ability Power to 35% (down from 40%).

The Closer – Epic Weapon Item

  • Increased cost to 14500 (up from 13000).

Eye of the Spider – Epic Weapon Item

  • Increased cost to 14000 (up from 13500).

Nano Cola – Rare Ability Item

  • Increased cost to 6000 (up from 5500).

Talon Modification Module – Rare General Weapon Item

  • Increased cost to 6000 (up from 5500).

Gloomgauntlet – Epic Survival Item

  • Increased cost to 10000 (up from 9500).

Icy Coolant – Rare Weapon Item

  • Increased cost to 5500 (up from 5000).

Multi-Tool – Rare Ability Item

  • Decreased cost to 4500 (down from 5000).
  • Decreased Cooldown Reduction to 5% (down from 10%).
  • Increased Ability Power to 10% (up from 5%).

Bloodbound – Epic Survival Item

  • Decreased cost to 9000 (down from 9500).

Geneticist’s Vial – Epic Survival Item

  • Increased Life after reviving to 250 (up from 200).

Electrolytes – Common Survival Item

  • Now gives 100 Overhealth every time you respawn (instead of just at the start of the round).
  • Increased cost to 1500 (up from 1000).

Adrenaline Shot – Common Survival Item

  • Increased Health to 25 (up from 10).
  • Increased cost to 1500 (up from 1000).

Bug Fixes

General

  • Fixed an issue where challenges were not progressing when queued as a specific role.
  • Fixed a graphical error that caused flashing for certain heroes on consoles.

Heroes

Doomfist

  • Fixed an issue where Doomfist was able to continue charging his punch through Sigma’s Accretion stun.

Illari

  • Fixed an issue where Illari’s Captive Sun Ultimate would not explode after a deflect.

Mercy

  • Fixed an issue where Mercy’s resurrect could complete in spawn if spawn timer was reached.

Stadium

  • Fixed a visual issue causing the Rank Progress bar to show incorrect Stadium Points after a match.
  • Fixed an issue with Competitive title rewards displaying the wrong role in stadium.
  • Fixed an issue with Zarya not working with Codebreaker item.
  • Fixed and issue where the mercy rule would activate inconsistently.
  • Fixed an issue with Mercy’s First Responder power.
  • Fixed an issue where the armory could load in an incomplete state.
  • Fixed an issue where the Better Together challenge was not tracking for D.VA players under certain conditions.
  • Fixed an issue where the Better Together challenge was not counting towards MVP or Star of the Show challenges.
  • Fixed an issue that occurs when Soldier uses the On Me power with both Vishkar Condenser and Vital-E-Tee mods together.
  • Fixed an issue that occurs when Junker Queen uses both the Reckoner’s Roar power and Cybervenom mod.
  • Fixed an issue that occurs when Ana uses both Comfy Cloud and Dreamy powers.
  • Fixed an issue that occurs when Mei uses both the Coulder power and Cybervenom mod.
  • Fixed an issue with Freja’s animation while holding down her secondary fire.
  • Fixed an issue with Mercy’s Equivalent Exchange mod and this has now been re-enabled.
  • Fixed an issue with Genji’s Deflect-O-Bot power and this has now been re-enabled.
  • Fixed an issue where Moira’s Empowering You power would not play hit markers when the buffed ally dealt damage.
  • Fixed an issue where Zarya’s Hybrid Battery item wouldn’t reset energy to 0 when sold.

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2025-05-21 20:12