Overwatch 2 Reveals Hazard's Gameplay and Abilities, and He Might Just Shake Up the Meta

Blizzard has dropped a full gameplay trailer for Hazard, the new tank hero coming to Overwatch 2 in Season 14 (and available this weekend for a limited time) and his kit is jaw-dropping. Let’s dive into the details of his abilities and explore some aspects that could make him a strong contender to shake up the meta in Season 14.

Overwatch 2 Reveals Hazard’s Gameplay and Abilities, and He Might Just Shake Up the Meta

As a veteran gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the arrival of Hazard in Overwatch 2 is nothing short of exhilarating. Having played every hero from Tracer to Orisa, I can confidently say that Hazard’s kit is a game-changer.

As a dedicated Overwatch fan, I was thrilled to witness Blizzard revealing Hazard, their latest tank hero, on the first day of the 2024 OWCS World Finals. It’s amusing how Hazard appears to be crafted as a counterbalance to the Mauga meta that has dominated throughout the day. His abilities shine in crowd control, mobility, and offer a complex playstyle for tactical mastery. Here’s a snapshot of his skills:

Bonespur: A five-barrel arm cannon with a slow rate of fire that hits multiple enemies per shot, similar to a shotgun. The shots appear to have a knockback effect.
Violent Leap: Hazard leaps into the air and can activate the ability again to slice with a crystalline blade.
Jagged Wall: A large purple crystal rapidly grows on the ground, dealing AoE knockback to nearby enemies.
Spike Guard: Hazard fires homing spikes from his back at nearby enemies, reducing incoming damage and replenishing ammunition while the spikes are active.
Vault: A passive ability that allows Hazard to scale short walls and grab ledges, including the ones created by his Jagged Wall.
Downpour (Ultimate): Hazard’s ultimate shoots spikes from his back, which break into smaller shards that rain down in an AoE, trapping opponents temporarily by embedding into the environment.

Hazard’s abilities make it clear he’s all about area control and crowd disruption. After trying him out (he’s available for the weekend), I can say he’s a powerhouse of a tank, but with a pretty high skill ceiling. I died more than once due to not managing my cooldowns properly and got melted when I couldn’t pop Spike Guard or leap away with Violent Leap.

What’s interesting, though, is the tech you can pull off with him – whether it’s ‘booping’ enemies with his walls, bunny hopping with the leap, or tweaking the settings to make his wall placeable, giving it infinite range (yes, this is real, check the screenshot above). If Hazard were to drop into the game right now, he could shake up the meta.

To switch Hazard’s projectile Jagged Wall to a placement-style system, navigate to Options > Controls > Hero & HUD, click on Change Hero, choose Hazard, and enable the option “Jagged Wall Uses Preplacement Controls” by switching it to On.

He plays similarly to Doomfist but with a mix of Winston and Mei for those walls and high health. If players better than me (so, most of you) get the hang of him, he could easily dominate. He could dive in and shut down Widow threats on maps where they’re an issue, use his ultimate to CC and ground any flyers (it has no ceiling – if you’re in the highlighted area on the ground, you’re getting trapped), and a whole lot more.

In summary, we’re eager to observe how well he integrates into the Overwatch 2 gameplay when he debuts in Season 14. Although it’s anticipated that he might receive a balance adjustment (nerf), he’s a novel and promising character for our team. Don’t let this opportunity slip by! Give him a try this weekend, and we’ll meet again in Season 14!

2024-11-22 19:13

Overwatch 2 Reveals Hazard’s Gameplay and Abilities, and He Might Just Shake Up the Meta

Overwatch 2 Reveals Hazard’s Gameplay and Abilities, and He Might Just Shake Up the Meta

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