Overwatch 2 is testing new update feature that could allow for faster balance changes

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Important takeaways

  • Overwatch 2's new Rapid Balance Update technology allows for faster adjustments, such as the Sombra buff with a six second translocator cooldown.
  • Blizzard plans to monitor the performance of the new technology to make micro-adjustments between major updates for Overwatch 2.
  • The Rapid Balance Update technology can reduce lingering hero imbalances and provide a better gameplay experience in Overwatch 2.



Overwatch 2 recently tested some new technology that should allow FPS to make smaller, faster adjustments to gameplay in the future. Using this fast balance update technique, Overwatch 2 hope to explore how it can more easily and quickly implement hotfixes between major updates.

Recently, Overwatch 2 rolled out its Season 13: Spellbinder update. In addition to cosmetics and limited-time events, Overwatch 2 Season 13 implemented new hero balance, including another major rework of Sombra tying her Stealth passive to her Translocator, which itself had its cooldown increased from five to seven seconds.

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Now to counteract the disadvantages of Sombra's latest Overwatch 2 Rework, Blizzard has given the hero a small buff – and tested some new technology to do so. On October 21, Overwatch 2 hotfixed Sombra's translocator cooldown to six seconds instead of seven. According to Overwatch 2 lead game engineer Daniel Razza, the buff was implemented using the new “Rapid Balance Update” technology, which is also why the patch was particularly small. Blizzard plans to monitor how the technology performs and explore how it can be used to enrich Overwatch 2 in the future.



Overwatch 2's new Rapid Balance Update Technology

In the past, Blizzard has implemented emergency fixes for bugs, such as one that incorrectly allowed Orisa's Energy Javelin to deliver critical hits in Overwatch 2or something else that revealed Sombra to an entire team if a single hero could see her through her stealth. However, Overwatch 2 rarely do balance updates between major and mid-season updates, so this quick balance update technique could be the first step in doing it more often.


As a live service PvP game, hero balance is critical in Overwatch 2because an overpowered hero can dominate matches for weeks, while an underpowered hero can make them unsatisfying to pick during that time. If this new technology would allow Overwatch 2 to make micro-adjustments on the fly between major updates, players can hopefully soon see fewer instances of lingering hero imbalance left to linger until the next major patch.

That said, few fans expect a second shorter cooldown on Sombra's Translocator to solve all of her problems. By removing the Stealth passive from Sombra in Overwatch 2the damage hero is now more of a frontline press pick, rather than one of the best flankers in the game, removing some of the unique gameplay elements that made her popular with players in the first place. Sombra has historically and consistently oscillated between extremes on the balance scale, so only time will tell what's next Overwatch 2s resident hacker.


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