Overwatch 2 Character Changes: All Game Changes, Hero Changes, And Reworks

You should know about the Overwatch 2 character changes if you're planning on jumping into the hero shooter sequel. For players of the first game, Overwatch 2 and its characters may feel a little different, as many of them recieved buffs, nerfs, ability changes, and straight up reworks that change how they function entirely. The spirit of many of the characters still remains, but these hero changes create a very different meta. So check out the full list of Overwatch 2 character changes.

• You may wonder, is Overwatch 2 replacing Overwatch 1? Check out our answer and whether you will still be able to play the original. 

Overwatch 2 Character Changes: Game Changes

One of the first big changes is the switch from 6v6 to 5v5, with one tank, two attackers, and two supports making up the team composition. You can also queue for a specific role or for a random one. The Overwatch 2 maps have also changed slightly, with a few new additions in the Escort and Hybrid modes, and a brand-new mode called Push, which comes with two maps. 

There are also some major changes made to how the roles work and different mechanics, which are:

• Attacker heroes retain up to 30% of their ultimate charge when switching to another attacker hero. 
• Tanks have 30% knockback resistance and provide 50% less ultimate charge when damaged.
• Support heroes now heal 15 HP per second after not receiving any damage for 1.5 seconds. 
• All extra health given from abilities is now called Overhealth, which has a green bar and is distinct from armour and shield health. 
• Armour now reduces all damage by 30% instead of flatly reducing it by five points. 

Overwatch 2 Character Changes: Hero Changes

Many of the heroes have had changes, ranging from small alterations to their abilities, to full reworks. 

Ana

• Biotic Rifle ammo has been increased from 12 to 15 rounds. 
• Sleep Dart cooldown has been increased from 12 to 15 seconds.
• Biotic Grenade duration has been reduced from 4 to 3 seconds. 

Ashe

• B.O.B (Ultimate) has had his health reduced from 1200 to 1100 HP.

Baptiste

• Damage falloff range reduced from 25 to 20 metres. 
• Regenerative Burst healing to allies increased from 75 to 100 HP.
• Biotic Launcher alternative fire healing ammo increased from 10 to 13 rounds. 

Bastion

Bastion has had a complete rework, removing his old abilities for new ones.

• Ironclad passive, Configuration: Sentry, Configuration: Tank, and Self-Repair have been removed.
• Configuration: Recon damaged increased from 20 to 25. Weapon spread reduced from 1.2 to 0. Fire rate reduced from 8 to 5, and ammo reduced from 35 to 25. 
• Added Configuration: Assault, which allows Bastion to transform into a tank and fire his minigun, with infinite ammo, while moving. Reduces movement speed by 35%, lasts 6 seconds, and has a 12-second cooldown.
• Added A-36 Tactical Grenade, which can bounce off walls and stick to enemies, dealing 130 damage. It also has a knockback effect, and a cooldown of 8 seconds. 
• Added Artillery (Ultimate), which allows Bastion to fire three artillery shells anywhere on the map, dealing 200 damage each. 

Brigitte

• Shield Bash no longer stuns enemies, cooldown reduced from 7 to 5 seconds, distance travelled increased from 7 to 12 metres. Movement doesn't stop when impacting barriers, damage increased from 1 to 50, and knockback is doubled.
• Inspire now also triggers off Shield Bash damage.

Cassidy

• Flash bang has been removed.
• Added Magnetic Grenade, which sticks to enemies and explodes, dealing 131 damage.
• Peacekeeper Fan the Hammer fire rate increased by 7.5%.
• Combat Roll grants 50% damage reduction when used. 
• Deadeye (Ultimate) grants 40% damage reduction and the max duration has been increased from 6 to 7 seconds. Deadeye also builds at 130 damage per second for 2 seconds, and then ramps up to 260 damage per second. Cost of ultimate also increased by 10%. 

D.VA

• Mech health increased from 600 to 650, and normal health increased from 300 to 350. 
•  Primary fire movement speed penalty reduced from 50% to 40%. 
• Fusion Cannons weapon spread reduced from 4 to 3.5.

Doomfist

Doomfist has also had a complete rework.

• Changed from an attacker to a tank hero.
• Base HP increased from 250 to 450. 
• Rising Uppercut has been removed. 
• Hand Cannon damage reduced from 6 to 5 per pellet, and ammo regeneration rate increased 0.65 seconds per shot to 0.4 seconds per shot. 
• Rocket Punch impact damage range reduced from 50-100 to 15-30. Wall Slam damage range reduced from 50-150 to 20-40. Maximum charge up time reduced from 1.4 seconds to 1 second. Impacting a target now causes a secondary, larger knockback area, and an additional 0.5 to 1 second of stun after the target hits a wall.
• Seismic Slam now launches Doomfist into the air in the direction that the player is aiming, and creates a wide shockwave after landing that deals 50 damage. It can also be cancelled by pressing the ability button again. 
• Meteor Strike (Ultimate) outer damage range reduced from 15-200 to 15-100, while still dealing 300 damage in the centre. The knockback has been removed, but all enemies hit by the ability are slowed by 50% for 2 seconds, and the cast time has been reduced from 1 to 0.5 seconds. 

Echo

• Focusing Beam maximum DPS reduced from 200 to 175. 
• Duplicate max health reduced from enemy hero HP total to a max of 300.

Hanzo

• Storm Arrow damage reduced from 70 to 65 per shot. 

Junker Queen

Overwatch 2 Junker Queen is a brand-new hero added during the closed beta that began on June 28. Check our guide on her abilities, along with sme tips. 

Junkrat

• Frag Launcher projectile size increased from 0.2 to 0.25.
• Steel Trap damage has been increased from 80 to 100, and the projectile speed has been increased from 10 to 15. 

Lucio

• Crossfade self-heal penalty increased from 30% to 60%. 
• Sound Barrier (Ultimate) cost reduced by 12%. 

Mei

• Endothermic Blaster freeze stun removed. Immediately slows targets by a constant 50% instead of building up, and slow duration reduced from 1 second to 0.5. Damager per second increased from 55 to 100, and ammo increased from 120 to 150. 
• Cryo-Freeze no longer removes Sigma Gravitic Flux effect. 
• Ice Wall pillar health reduced from 400 to 250, and range reduced from 35 to 20 metres. 
• Blizzard (Ultimate) cost increased by 15%.

Mercy

• Regeneration now increases the support role healing passive by 50%, healing 22.5 per second instead of 15. 
• Guardian Angel can no longer be cancelled by using crouch for a big vertical boost, and now automatically launches you upwards if you reach the end of Guardian Angel. 
• Angelic Descent will now additionally slow ascent speed if held, not just descent speed. 

Orisa

Orisa is another character that has seen a huge rework to her kit. 

• Protective Barrier, Halt!, and Supercharger (Ultimate) have been removed. 
• Base armour increased from 200 to 250, and base HP increased from 200 to 250. 
• Fortify now provides 125 Overhealth when activated, though it doesn't give Orisa headshot immunity anymore. It also reduced heat buildup from Augmented Fusion Driver by 50% while active. Duration increased from 4 to 4.5 seconds.
• Added Augmented Fusion Driver, which is a new weapon that deals 12 damage per shot, has a critical bonus of 100%, and 15-25 metre damage falloff range. There is no magazine, as it is heat-based, and when the weapon overheats you cannot fire for 3 seconds. 
• Added Energy Javelin, which allows Orisa to throw a projectile that deals 60 damage, stuns enemies for 0.2 seconds, and knocks them back 6 metres. If an enemy collides with a wall when struck with the projectile, they take an extra 40 damage and are stunned for an extra 0.3 seconds. Has an 8-second cooldown. 
• Added Javelin Spin, where Orisa rapidly spins an energy javelin for 1.75 seconds, destroying enemy projectiles and gaining a 40% buff to forward movement while active. Can also be used to push enemies back and deals 90 damage. Has a 7-second cooldown. 
• Added Terra Surge (Ultimate), which pulls enemies in and gives you the Fortify effect. It charges for up to 4 seconds, dealing area of effect damage when released. The max damage it can deal is 500, and while the attack is charging, it deals minor damage to enemies over time and slows enemy movement by 30%. 

Pharah

• Rocket Launcher reload starts 0.25 seconds faster when out of ammo. 
• Concussive Blast now deals 30 damage and deals additional knockback on direct hits. 

Reaper

• Hellfire Shotguns damage per pellet reduced from 6 to 5.4, and spread increased from 6 to 8. 

Reinhardt

• Steadfast passive removed and replaced with the global tank passive. 
• Base armour increased from 200 to 300, while base health increased from 300 to 325. 
• Barrier Field health reduced from 1600 to 1200, and regeneration rate reduced from 200 to 144 per second. 
• Charge steering turn rate increased by 50%, and can now be manually cancelled. Charge Pin wall impact damage reduced from 300 to 225, and cooldown reduced from 10 to 8 seconds. 
• Fire Strike now has two charges but deals 90 damage instead of 100. 

Roadhog

• Take a Breather healing increased from 300 to 350.
• The Whole Hog (Ultimate) now has to be fired manually, but it cannot be cancelled with stuns. Additionally, Roadhog can use other abilities while it's active.

Sigma

• Base shields increased from 100 to 200. 
• Accretion damage increased from 70 to 100. 
• Experimental Barrier regeneration rate now reduced from 120 to 100. 

Sojourn

Sojourn is another new hero that was added in the first closed beta test.

• Railgun secondary fire projectile width increased from 0.05 metres to 0.1. 
• Power Slide cooldown reduced from 7 to 6 seconds. 

Soldier: 76

• Heavy Pulse Rifle damage reduced from 20 to 18. 
• Tactical Visor (Ultimate) no longer removes damage falloff from the Heavy Pulse Rifle, though players can earn headshots with it now. 

Sombra

• Machine Pistol damage reduced from 8 to 7, and spread reduced by 10%. 
• Hack cooldown reduced from 8 to 4 seconds, but the cooldown is no longer reduced when hacking health packs. Cast time increased from 0.65 to 0.85 seconds, and health pack duration reduced from 60 to 30 seconds. Ability lock duration reduced from 5 seconds to 1 second. Also reveals hacked enemies through walls to Sombra's team for 8 seconds. Interrupting hack during the channel time now incurs the full cooldown.
• Stealth fade-in time reduced by 50%, and enemy detection radius increased from 2 to 4 metres. 
• Sombra can now use Hack during Stealth without ending the ability, but is revealed to enemies while hacking and for 0.75 seconds after hacking. 
• Added Opportunist passive, where damage dealt to hacked targets is increased by 40%. 

Symmetra

• Photon Projector maximum ammo increased from 70 to 100, and primary fire no longer generates ammo when damaging barriers. Secondary fire projectile speed increased from 25 to 50, and secondary fire max damage reduced from 120 to 90. Secondary fire max charge projectile reduced from 0.5 to 0.4, secondary fire ammo cost increased from 7 to 10, and secondary fire charge time increased from 1 to 1.2 seconds. 
• Teleporter build time reduced from 2 seconds to 1, and teleporter now has a max lifetime of 10 seconds. Cooldown increased from 10 to 16 seconds, and health reduced from 300 to 200. Ranged reduced from 30 to 22 metres. 
• Sentry Turret travel speed increased from 15 to 20, and movement speed reduction on targets reduced from 20% per turret to 15% per turret. 

Torbjorn

• Rivet Gun primary fire recovery reduced from 0.6 to 0.55 seconds, and Rivet Gun secondary fire reduced from 0.8 to 0.7 seconds. 

Tracer

• Pulse Pistol's damage reduced from 6 to 5. 

Widowmaker

• Base health increased from 175 to 200. 

Winston

• Base armour increased from 150 to 200.
• Tesla Cannon secondary fire can now be used to charge and release a 30-metre range jolt of electricity, dealing up to 50 damage and costing 12 ammo. 
• Barrier Projectile health increased from 650 to 700, duration reduced from 9 to 8 seconds, and cooldown reduced from 13 to 12 seconds. 
• Primal Rage (Ultimate) cost increased by 20%.

Wrecking Ball

• Base armour increased from 100 to 150, and base health increased from 500 to 550. 
• Adaptive Shield radius increased from 8 to 10 metres, and health gained per target increased from 75 to 100 health. 
• Roll knockback also increased by 36%.

Zarya

• Base health increased from 200 to 250, and base shields increased from 200 to 225.
• Particle Barrier (self-shield) now has a 10-second cooldown on a shared 2-charge system with Projected Barrier (ally shield). Cooldown now begins immediately on ability use. Barrier's duration increased from 2 to 2.5 seconds. 
• Allies shielded with Projected Barrier cannot be targeted again by the ability for 2 seconds. 
• Energy degeneration increased from 1.8 to 2.2 per second. 

Zenyatta

• Base shields increased from 150 to 175. 
• Orb of Discord time to fall of target when not in line of sight reduced from 3 to 2 seconds. 
• Gained Snap Kick passive, where melee attacks deal 50% more damage and knock back enemies. 

That's all for our breakdown of the Overwatch 2 character changes, and now you know some of the main changes made to the game, along with the specific character changes.

We also have a breakdown of the new Overwatch 2 scoreboard, which displays more information.