While Monitoring Releasing five heroes at the same time proved to be a bold experiment, considering the game's rapid increase in players and the general positive reception of it from returning fans, it can certainly be considered a success. That doesn't mean it came without some growing pains, though a few Monitorings new characters have found themselves getting insta-banned – although it seems Blizzard doesn't think Domina is as problematic as the community does.
Anyone who has played a competitive match in Monitoring Season 1 will have noticed which heroes get banned the most. From the start of the season, Fika, AKA Jetpack Cat, has been nearly unplayable in competitive matches. If there's a matchup with water or an environmental hazard, Jetpack Cat is even less likely to be played, with players frustrated by her Ultimate, which sees the flying feline grab and drag whoever she lands on to their doom. This, combined with her powerful melee and Purr perks, made her a force to be reckoned with. She's not the only ban target though, as the community perceives Domina as overpowered, a stance Blizzard has pushed back against.
Blizzard's full suspension rate and win percentage breakdown can be found here.
What Blizzard's data on Overwatch's new heroes reveals
In the EU, South Korea and the US, Domina and Jetpack Cat are the obvious bans at the moment. Domina is at 57% (EU), 61.3% (KR) and 59.8% (US), while Jetpack Cat has an even more brutal 68.8%, 80.7% and 66.7%. It's a tough time to be attached to either of these two heroes, especially when Anran's ban percentage never went above 8.2% and both Emre and Mizuki are almost never targets for bans. Obviously, this data reveals that something was up, which explains why Blizzard made changes.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Start
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
For Domina, her Ultimate recharge time increased by 12%, a fair nerf that has only seen her win percentage drop by one point, which Blizzard says indicates it was the right call. Her mains weren't particularly bothered by the adjustment either, and even supported it as they felt they had their Ultimate prepared for almost every team fight. For Jetpack Cat, the combination of Territorial and Claws Out perks was considered too powerful (it was picked far more than any pairing), causing both perks to be nerfed. She should now be less lethal in 1v1 duels. While this hasn't stopped Jetpack Cat from being banned, as she has simply been considered annoying by many as they struggle to adapt to her kit, perhaps bans will become less common as players adapt to her. Interestingly, it seems this is what Blizzard is hoping will happen with Domina as well, as it doesn't seem to line up with her ban rate.
In fairness to Blizzard, Domina's win rate is hardly eye-popping, being on par with Mizuki and Jetpack Cats. Actually, the only outrageous win rate in the image above was Emre, who benefited greatly from his weapon and grenade damage, as it is clear to see the exact moment when MonitoringOn February 24, the balance sheet started. According to Blizzard, those who ban Domina simply perceive her as overpowered, perhaps due to her ranged damage or her bulky, segmented shield. Blizzard simply believes that players may not be using her counter effectively – aggressive characters like D.Va and Reinhardt can charge her and take her out, but it's hard for her to respond in time. Winston is another viable option to keep Vishkar higher up in check.
judgment
It seems that Domina mains are safe from more nerfs for now, as Blizzard seems to want to take a wait-and-see approach with the fashionista, though this is just speculation. While there will certainly be those who agree or disagree with the notion that Domina is fine as is, her rather superior win rate supports Blizzard's argument that players see her as stronger than she actually is.
- Released
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August 10, 2023
- ESRB
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Teen/Violence, Blood, Mild Language, Tobacco Use, User Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
