Overwatch 2 is rolling out some nerfs in its next patch, affecting Genji, Kiriko, DVa, Zarya, and Sombra. Read on to learn more about what's going to change with these heroes.

Blizzard had previously announced that they would be balancing some heroes for Season 2 of Overwatch 2. However, it seems that they want to bring some of those balance changes to the game early. they said they are focusing on some “tactical adjustments” that will bring D.Va, Zarya, Genji, and Sombra “in line with the rest of the roster.”

The following are the changes that will come in the coming patch this November 15, 2022, along with the reasoning behind them.

  • Sombra
    • Hack ability lockout duration reduced from 1.75 to 1.5 seconds
    • Hacked enemies are no longer valid targets for hacking for the duration of the effect
    • Hacked damage multiplier reduced from 40 to 25%
    • The increased damage that Sombra gained to compensate for her Hack's lowered duration made her deadlier than expected. Her deadliness is only amplified by the fact that she can easily access the backlines thanks to her stealth and mobility. Sombra can also no longer Hack currently hacked targets, which some players say is frustrating to fight against.
  • Genji
    • Maximum ammo reduced from 30 to 24
    • Shuriken damage reduced from 29 to 27
    • The removal of one Tank from team compositions has given Genji, along with other flanking heroes, easier access to the backline. This, combined with the fact that Genji hasn't received a tuning update, also means that he is easily capable of dealing a lot of damage to his enemies. This nerf aims to bring him more in line with the other flanking heroes such as Tracer and Reaper.
  • Zarya
    • Barrier duration reduced from 2.5 to 2 seconds
    • Barrier cooldown increased from 10 to 11 seconds
    • Players actually predicted early on that Zarya is one of the weakest solo tanks in 5v5. This is in spite of her high damage potential and barrier uptime. However, players have noted that thanks to Zarya's barriers, she has limited windows of vulnerability. This, combined with her ramping damage, has made her one of the stronger tanks in the game. The changes aim to decrease her shield uptime so that players have more chances of taking her down.
  • D.Va
    • Fusion Cannon spread increased from 3.5 to 3.75
    • Boosters Impact damage reduced from 25 to 15
    • D.Va'a improved Defense Matrix has made her more resilient, while also increasing her damage output. Because of this, the nerf aims to try and reduce her deadliness, while still retaining her resilience.
  • Kiriko
    • Swift Step invulnerability duration reduced from 0.4 to 0.25 seconds
    • Swift Step's invulnerability was meant to protect Kiriko should she accidentally teleport into a dangerous area. However, it's proven that the invulnerability duration is too long, as players get confused when shooting at her. This nerf aims to fix that, while also rewarding players that time their usage of the skill properly.

That's all for the nerfs that the next Overwatch 2 patch will bring to Sombra, Genji, Zarya, DVa, and Kiriko. This patch will also see the possible return of Mei after she was disabled thanks to her Ice Wall.

For the complete set of patch notes, head over to our article here.