Overwatch 2 is making it easier to counter aerial heroes, but there’s a catch

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Players of Overwatch 2 can anticipate an easier method for managing aerial characters, though perhaps not as preferred.

As a devoted Overwatch player, I’ve consistently encountered challenges in finding effective counters for heroes who excel in aerial combat, like Pharah, Mercy, and Echo.

For a long time, gamers at the top of the ranked leaderboards, particularly those using consoles, have ruled their opponents by pairing Pharah and Mercy, dealing devastating damage to opponents through boosted rocket fire.

Or simply:

Top-tier console players have been dominating opponents for years with a winning duo: Pharah and Mercy, delivering massive damage using boosted rockets.

As a gamer, I’ve found the newest character in our game, Freja, to be quite formidable despite her not being super aerial. Her unique selling point lies in her Updraft ability, which propels her forward, making her a significant threat on the battlefield.

Indeed, developers have decided to introduce a fresh method for managing characters such as Freja. However, there’s one hitch we need to address.

Overwatch takes action against aerial heroes… in Stadium

On May 30th, developers mentioned in their blog that Freja has been dominating since her introduction, and they adjusted her with a hotfix nerf the day before by extending her mobility cooldown times.

The developers openly acknowledged that our team is closely monitoring the performance of the characters in the Stadium, and we’re considering strategic adjustments to ensure a fair gameplay experience for everyone. Notably, our latest character, Freja, certainly made a striking debut.

They confirmed that since playing against her can sometimes be challenging due to her tactics, an item designed specifically to counter air attacks will be introduced during Season 17.

In retrospect, incorporating an anti-aircraft feature into the original game might have been advantageous many years ago, however, this idea was never realized.

For Season 16, developers have consistently tweaked Stadium via various updates, reflecting its current significance in Overwatch 2. The recent addition of this new item serves as another demonstration.

The specific function of the latest addition hasn’t been clearly defined as of now, but what’s evident is that the developers aim to prevent certain characters from causing significant issues in Stadium, maintaining balance since this mode lacks hero bans.

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2025-05-31 00:48