That Overwatch 2 beta has arrived and it has come with gifts for tank and damage players who have received a lot of new bells and whistles to mess with. But alas, healers, the faithful cornerstone of the team-based shooter, feel left behind. Blizzard has just rolled out a patch for the beta, and while it implemented several clever tweaks to lots of the game’s heroes, the concerned support network got the short end of the stick.
Players seem to be having fun Overwatch 2 beta, testing significant rework for grades such as Doomfist and Orisa, and upload clips of themselves that appear in the beta’s faster, deathmatch-style gameplay. But some format changes introduced by the successor – such as the presence of only one tank position per. teams and the abundance of flanking opportunities on the game’s bigger cards – has left healers more vulnerable than they were in. Overwatch.
“Blizzard has managed to make the roles more fun to play, but supportive [characters] seems to be the most vulnerable role to play, ” Overwatch YouTuber Stylosa said in a video. While tanks have become “beefier” versions of theirs Overwatch (I refuse to call it that Overwatch 1) counterparts, Stylosa said, that support characters “live on the edge” of the beta version.
While “living on the edge” has long been the cross that Overwatch support veterans need to bear, the vulnerability feels even stronger in Overwatch 2‘s beta. This does not mean that support characters did not get anything new to protect themselves with. In fact, supporters across the board received passive health regeneration, something that was previously exclusive to Mercy. Oh, did you expect anything more? Pardon. Except for a minute patch-note changes, healers have become almost untouched from their Overwatch versions.
Where do the adjustments to the game’s overall format leave our largely unchanged healers? The name of the game to support in Overwatch 2, except for increasing damage and keeping everyone alive, is maneuverability. If your character can not keep up with these trying, fast times, your ass is grass.
In the spirit of keeping my colleague lapsed Overwatch refugees informed about the status of their support network, I have broken down today’s patch note changes and ranked grades according to who got the roughest deal in Overwatch 2 beta, and which looks pretty good right now.
Zenyatta
Zenyatta, buddy, I’m sorry. You did not get anything new in the latest patch notes for Overwatch 2s beta. While it’s generally a good thing to hear that your main character did not receive a patch change, Zenyatta was already a “Oh, so you want to die?” support character thanks to his shields that have the structural strength of a Nature Valley bar. My husband is still floating with the molasses, so I hope the Zenyatta net is not rusty with their alternative fire, otherwise you end up Mondatta on the battlefield.
Brigitte
Brigittepath of many one Overwatch the player’s existence for her shield-bashing stuns, got the most comprehensive revisions in Overwatch 2‘s beta out of any support grade. The primary among them, her shield bash no longer amazes enemies. Instead, it gives damage, increased from 1 to 50 points. To remedy this, her range has been increased to 12 meters, her cooling down has been reduced from five seconds, and barriers no longer stop her bashes.
People on r / Overwatch subreddit discusses whether Brigitte is a shadow of her former self, but thanks to her greater shield and health, she is more durable as support than she used to be.
Baptiste
Baptiste is probably the only support to get a net positive with the beta patch. His Regenerative Boost, has seen its ally-healing power increase from 75% to 100%, and the minimum fall range for his primary fire was reduced from 25 to 20 meters. Baptiste can still be healed via grenades at a distance, and his jumping abilities enable him to reach a higher vantage point and get out of danger.
Ana
Anaone of the more demanding support characters to master, seems to abound in Overwatch 2 beta due to her ability to crowd control with her healing / damage grenades. The only change to her kit from the latest patch is that her sleep pill cooling has increased from 12 seconds to 15. Although your mileage may vary depending on your skill level, Ana’s survival depends on your ability to pick your shots, especially with your shot. sleeping pill. Only shoot if you are sure.
Lucio
Lucio‘s maneuverability remains second to none. His set also remains largely unchanged, except that his ultimate, the Sound Barrier, is reduced by 12%. He can still glide over walls just as well, if not better, than his OW version, and you can take advantage of the wider space of the card to slide in time with your own drum.
Mercy
According to Overwatch YouTuber Flats, Mercys changes are improvements in “quality of life” for players and teammates. These QOL features include a HUD that shows injury enhancements and healing more clearly. When it comes to getting out of Dodge when things go awry, Mercy can still slide towards allies if they are within sight. So if you see a DPS character take a break for it, be sure to use the smart new one ping system and let them know you’re on their six.
Moira
Out of all the support grades, Moira (which happens to be my most important) is probably best placed when it comes to survivability. While she and Zenyatta have not gotten manipulated with their set in the latest patch, Moira’s maneuverability as support gives her a bit more advantage over other characters. Thanks to her fading ability, Moira can not get out of any awkward encounter with the enemy team. Next to anyone supported passive health regimen, Moira’s Biotic Grasp, Biotic Orb and her ultimate, Biotic Beam, triple as a means of healing herself while doing damage to the enemy’s team.
While my ratings can all be undone by a dash of another patch update (something the old one Overwatch usually do), at least supporters can take comfort in not getting shit so often for losing the game. There will probably be tanks now, as there is only one per. team. Yet it is still a hard hit life. Godspeed, supporters. You do the work of the Lord.