It’s a new year and with it comes a new Overwatch Lunar New Year patch. Along with new skins, competitive Capture the Flag, and a new mode, there are a number of balance changes, with Baptiste getting hit especially hard.
Lunar New Year nerfs
Blizzard is continuing to target Overwatch‘s most problematic heroes in this patch. Baptiste’s Immortality Field is an extremely powerful move that can singlehandedly swing a team fight. This, along with his healing and damage output and low cooldown ultimate, make him almost a must-pick in most team comps.
Immortality Field’s cooldown is going up from 20 seconds to 25 seconds and its duration dropping from eight seconds to five seconds. Blizzard is also raising the cost of his ultimate by 20 percent. Baptiste players will have to think more carefully about how to use their cooldowns.
Beyond Baptiste, Orisa’s Fortify is losing 10% of its damage reduction. This will make it easier to burst her down through the ability.
Hanzo, Mei, and Doomfist are all on the receiving end of nerfs as well. These three damage heroes have been extremely popular in the double shield meta, and further nerfs could help alter the meta. Hanzo’s arrows are going to travel slower, Doomfist’s Rising Uppercut will do less damage, and Mei’s freeze will be less effective.
One buff for D.Va
D.Va is the lone hero receiving a buff this patch. D.Va has fallen from grace in Overwatch since her glory days in the Dive meta, but it looks like Blizzard wants to buff her up a little. Her Boosters are receiving a two-second cooldown decrease, which will help her mobility.
This patch may not completely kill the double-shield meta, but it should give players other viable options. At the very least, players might get a reprieve from Baptiste every now and then. D.Va players and Mei haters should also be pretty pleased.
Overwatch‘s Lunar New Year event releases with this patch as well. This event will showcase new skins, competitive Capture the Flag, and an all-new Capture the Flag game mode called Blitz CTF. All previous Lunar New Year skins will also be available at a discounted price.
The patch is already live, so check out the balance changes and all of the Lunar New Year skins and game modes!
Published: Jan 17, 2020 06:38 am