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Overwatch 2 teases balance patch and new Perks for seasons 15 and 16

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In this post, we’ll discuss how the Overwatch 2 team plans to balance Perks during Season 15 and share some insights on what to expect in Season 16!

In this article, let’s delve into the Overwatch 2 team’s approach to balancing Perks for Season 15 and take a sneak peek at what Season 16 might bring!

On February 27th, key personnel from Overwatch 2 – Alec Dawson (Lead Gameplay Designer), Kenny Hudson (Senior Producer) and Scott Kennedy (Associate Hero Designer) – participated in a Q&A session on the Competitive Overwatch 2 subreddit. During this Ask Me Anything (AMA) event, they discussed aspects of Overwatch 2 Perks such as their design process, balancing them, future plans for the system, and various other details.

How Overwatch 2 Perks were designed

As explained by Dawson, the primary purpose of the Overwatch 2 Perks system is to introduce fresh gameplay opportunities, enhance heroes’ versatility based on specific situations, and allow players greater autonomy over their gaming experience. For instance, concerning situational viability, certain Perks can mitigate hero vulnerabilities like Junkrat’s Frag Cannon or Sigma’s Levitation. Dawson also discussed the intriguing nature of Sombra’s White Hat Perk, suggesting it caters to a unique hero fantasy. The images we have provided demonstrate the functions of all these mentioned Perks in Overwatch 2.

Initially, Kennedy shared that the team created numerous Perks, some of which offered significant advantages but also had disadvantages. The Overwatch 2 team found out that this setup made Perks seem less enjoyable to use. Sombra’s Stack Overflow is one such example, and the team intends to adjust or replace it with a more balanced change in the future.

Kennedy further explained that at present, there are no intentions to incorporate new Perks into the standard hero kits. However, certain Perks have demonstrated promise for possible future adjustments to heroes. For instance, Bastion’s Armored Artillery, Smart Bomb, and Self-Repair Perks have been effective in addressing weaknesses within his current kit.

“Kenny noted that these benefits significantly enhance the hero’s performance while also making gameplay more enjoyable. The main objectives for these perks were to improve the hero and make it more entertaining, but I can foresee some aspects of these perks being integrated into standard kits as heroes evolve in the future.

Overwatch 2 Perks to get mid-season update

According to Dawson, Ramattra, Winston, Bastion, Pharah, and Ana have been the standout characters in terms of Overwatch 2 Perks thus far. He additionally pointed out that specific abilities like Ramattra’s Vengeful Vortex, Mauga’s Firewalker, Zarya’s Energy Lance, and Soldier 76’s Agility Training have left a significant impact in the gameplay.

In response to yet another query, it was clear that Roadhog’s Scrap Hook is more favored than his Minor Hog Toss. On the other hand, Ramattra’s Void Surge ability has been a preferred choice due to its boost on hero damage.

In summary, it seems the imbalanced choices for perks are as anticipated, and we’re leveraging this data and user feedback to determine which perks require adjustment or balancing in upcoming updates.

As a gamer, here’s my take: Right now, I’m all about tweaking those underpowered and overly potent Perks that we’ve got in Overwatch 2. You can expect a balance refresh to drop sometime during the mid-season update for Season 15.

More Overwatch 2 Perks in Season 16

In an engaging Q&A session, it was disclosed that the Overwatch 2 development team intends to introduce fresh Perk options during Season 16. Players should be prepared for modifications in existing Perks like Roadhog’s Hog Toss and Juno’s Re-Boots, among others.

In the upcoming Season 16, we plan to introduce some fresh Perks. However, before we reach that point, there will be a series of balance adjustments and modifications in the mid-Season 15 update. It’s worth noting that certain underperforming Perks are going to receive some positive changes. (Hudson)

Regarding modifying Perks during an Overwatch 2 game, Kenny mentioned that it’s not completely ruled out as a possibility. But at this moment, they don’t have any plans to implement such a feature.

You can find the complete Q&A about Overwatch Perks on Reddit. Additionally, some key points from this week’s director’s briefing are worth checking out as well.

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2025-03-01 02:11

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