Overwatch 2: Two Heroes Are Getting Major Reworks for the Beta

Overwatch's Doomfist and Orisa are both receiving major reworks in Overwatch 2.

While all 32 original Overwatch characters are returning for the sequel, Blizzard announced two further reworks (joining Bastion and Sombra) in a blog post, revealing that Doomfist has even had a role change.

He'll switch from being a damage hero to a tank, losing his Uppercut ability in the process. Instead, Doomfist is now equipped with Power Block, a shielding ability that protects from frontal attacks, and his health has increased from 250 to 450.

Blocking heavy damage with the shield will power up his Rocket Punch ability, which will travel faster and further and deal increased damage when empowered.

"Power Block feels kind of like Zarya when people shoot into her shields, but instead of passively gaining damage, his next punch will get a buff that lasts until he either uses Rocket Punch or is eliminated," said lead hero designer Geoff Goodman. "When you block a hard-hitting attack, you get powered up instantly. It almost feels like a parry."

His final major change is in his Seismic Slam ability, which now launches Doomfist in a similar way to Winston's leap, and upon hitting will slow enemies and deal damage.

He's received other tweaks too, which can be seen in Blizzard's graphic (above) but overall, "Doomfist has super fluid mobility on all planes right now", Goodman said. "He gained a ton of mobility with Seismic Slam, but he doesn’t have as much jerky, unpredictable movement."

Orisa has also been adapted to work better in the new five-versus-five games, and while Doomfist received new defensive abilities, Orisa's rework focused more on dealing damage.

Her Protective Barrier, Halt, and Supercharger abilities are all gone, and her primary fire now shoots a larger projectile that deals more damage the closer she is to enemies.

"Her gun encourages her to get close to enemies and play more forward in Overwatch 2," said senior hero designer Brandon Brennan, and her increased health and armour contribute to this idea too.

Her secondary fire, a new ability called Energy Javelin, is a skill shot projectile that hits the first enemy in its path, acting as a micro-stun that does more damage when there's a wall behind you.

Orisa's next new ability is the Javelin Spin, which, as the name suggests, has her spin a javelin that destroys incoming projectiles while also pushing back enemies and increasing forward speed.

Brennan said: "Our primary purpose with Javelin Spin is to help Orisa engage and get into the fight. When paired with her other abilities, it can become a lethal combo. You can herd enemies backward and follow up with an Energy Javelin to push them into a wall."

Her new Ultimate is Terra Surge, which fortifies Orisa and pulls in nearby enemies while charging up an AOE attack, providing a perfect opportunity for the team to coordinate a series of strong attacks on the enemy.

"We started her rework by removing Orisa’s barrier and her Halt ability, but we still thought Halt was really cool," said Brennan. "We incorporated the idea of Halt into Orisa’s new ultimate, and this is where the pull comes from."

Blizzard didn't reveal if more reworks are on the way but some players will at least be able to test out these changes in the upcoming closed beta.

The new hero, Sojourn, will also be playable, meaning her massive railgun and focus on maneuverability can be tried out for the first time too.

The PC closed beta arrives on April 26, and though Blizzard has not confirmed a release date for the game's official launch, it has said the PvP and PvE modes will arrive separately.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

source https://www.ign.com/articles/overwatch-2-two-heroes-are-getting-major-reworks-for-the-beta