New Abilities and Changes You Should be Aware of

We take a closer look at some of the new changes and abilities you can expect to see in Overwatch 2.

Following Blizzard’s official announcement about the upcoming Overwatch 2, we know the game is just a few months away. Unlike the first version of the game that requires people to buy it, this one will be free. Hence, many more people have the chance to put it to the test.

Even though some of the things you are about to read might change in the future, we’ve decided to show you some of the new abilities in the game that you should be aware of. We had the chance to experience them during the Beta, and it is safe to say most of them were excellent. We won’t cover the two new heroes because their skill sets deserve a stand-alone article.

Winston now has a secondary fire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VrT_ezsnwQ

Some tanks in Overwatch are a lot more fun to play than others. For most people, Winston is not in this category because the hero didn’t offer much action. Although he was useful in many situations, he was just not as fun to play as other tanks.

It seems like the developers in Overwatch have noticed it, which is why they’ve decided to change the hero. Overwatch 2 will finally make him a viable option even when he is not close to his enemies. This will be possible thanks to his secondary fire mode, which allows him to have mid and long-range impact. 

When the hero decides to use this ability, he can do up to 50 damage, which can be enough to score a kill (depending on the situation). Although this is a plus, it won’t make Winston the best option in these scenarios. The hero needs to be close to his opponents in order to be effective.

 Cassidy has a Magnetic Grenade

One of the heros that we didn’t expect to change was Cassidy. This has always been the go-to option for many DPS players in Overwatch. Besides being popular among casuals, McCree was often the best DPS for many pro teams.

Despite the hero’s popularity, Blizzard decided to remove his Flash Bang and replace it with a Magnetic Grenade. Once Overwatch 2 becomes available, we will be able to use a grenade that can deal up to 131 damage. Although it lacks the stun effect of his Flash Bang, this will make him even more dangerous in close-range combat.

Besides the damage, Magnetic Grenade can stick to an opponent. In other words, Cassidy will almost always deal its maximum damage, which will allow him to score a kill with a single body shot after that.

We are yet to see whether this change will be for the better. Although doing more damage is always a plus, Cassidy’s CC was really useful in many scenarios. After all, it allowed him to land a free headshot after that.

D.Va received a couple of notable nerfs

As mentioned earlier, some tanks in Overwatch were a lot more popular than others because they were just better. The first name that comes to mind is D.Va, a hero that was always among the preferred tanks in the game. Whether you’ve played a ranked game or a casual match with your friends, there would always be one player that got D.Va.

It seems like Blizzard doesn’t like the fact that D.Va is way too popular. Unlike other heroes that received different buffs, this one also had to undergo a couple of nerfs. For example, she now has 650 HP, but her armor is down from 300 to 200. 

Interestingly, the hero now has a 40% movement speed penalty while using her primary fire instead of a 50% one. Consequently, she should be more mobile and more dangerous.

The last change is to Fusion Cannons. One of D.Va’s signature abilities now has a 3.5 spread instead of 4. 

Even though the new changes will make the hero less tanky, they will make her more dangerous during fights. A good D.Va player has to know when to play aggressively and defensively.

Mei is different 

There is no arguing that Mei is definitely not the most popular hero in Overwatch, at least for casual players. The hero’s playstyle makes it a fantastic option for professionals, but since she doesn’t do that much damage, people usually pick something else.

Unlike other heroes that receive small buffs and nerfs, Mei will be a totally different hero in Overwatch 2.  Even though she has no new abilities, the old ones received tons of changes.

Starting from her Endothermic Blaster, this weapon no longer stuns enemies when he hits them for long enough. Instead, it provides Mei with a static 50% movement speed slow as soon as she hits a target. Even more impressive is that this gun now deals 100 DPS instead of 55. 

In addition to everything mentioned above, this gun now has 150 ammo instead of 120. This makes Mei one of the strongest damage dealers at close range.

Sadly, this is where the good news ends for Mei because the next couple of changes are not good for her. Starting with Ice Wall, this ability now has 250 HP instead of 400 and has a range of 20 meters (it was 35). 

Mei’s ultimate now costs 15% extra, and her Cryo-Freeze does not remove Sigma’s Gravitic Flux. In other words, Blizzard made Mei a proper DPS character that will be way more deadly than before. Unfortunately, the hero won’t provide the same utility because her core ability (Ice Wall) is not as good as before.

Soldier: 76 also had to undergo a couple of changes

Solider is one of the heroes that received a lot of nerfs in Overwatch 2. His Heavy Pulse Rifle now deals 18 damage instead of 20 and his Sprint gives him 40% extra movement speed (it was 50% before). This will make the hero less mobile and less deadly, especially against targets with more HP.

The last change to Solider is related to his ultimate. Tactical Visor can now land you a headshot, which is great for killing enemies faster. However, the ultimate won’t remove the damage fallof from using your gun from a distance. In other words, you must be more precise while using the ult to be effective.

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