Overwatch 2's Big Midseason Update just hit the wrong target

Overwatch 2 fans have been patiently waiting for the mid-season update and are looking forward to the game's much-needed story timeline as well as the usual buffs and nerfs. The story part seems to be a big hit with fans of Overwatch 2s lore, especially after Blizzard promised it would be updated with new narrative content every season going forward. As for the latest balance pass, there are some legitimately positive tweaks, like a Wrecking Ball HP nerf and a buff to Brigitte's Repair Pack speed, as well as a change to Lifeweaver's model size that should increase his survivability. But one particular buff – that's to the Damage hero Ashe – and the lack of changes for Mercy stand out as some distinct disappointments.

Overwatch 2's Ashe Buff could make her a threat

One of the hardest things to balance Overwatch 2 and its predecessor has been how different the game can feel on PC compared to consoles. For this reason, there were periods where a hero like Torbjorn was a threat on console while being extremely easy to deal with on PC, and heroes like Pharah remain more intimidating on PlayStation and Xbox because it's harder to find reliable hitscan players. Recently have Overwatch 2 hero Ashe has been a prime example of this problem, as she's a decent B-tier pick on PC, but she's proven to be very strong on console. After her recent change, she will most likely be too strong on console.

Overwatch 2The Ashe fan sees her fall-off range significantly increased. In the past, the damage has fallen from 30-50 meters, while now they fall from 40-60 meters. This change allows Ashe to play further back from the enemy while still dealing the same amount of damage, meaning she can snipe enemies and really dominate the lobby as it becomes harder to reach her. This power boost combined with a Mercy pocket could see Ashe be a true nightmare in the second half of Overwatch 2 Season 19. Since she's already useful on PC and strong on console, this kind of big buff is a bold decision that could prove problematic.

Ashe received no other changes in Overwatch 2s mid-season update, meaning her other abilities like dynamite and BOB haven't been nerfed to compensate for her extra range.

On the damage front, there was a much greater need for some noticeable nerf to series mascot Tracer, as she's been lobbing for the past few weeks. Her weapons that deal 6 damage per shot have proven unpopular with Overwatch 2 community, as it has made it difficult for characters like Echo to find value. Even though the projectiles no longer have the global size increase, players were hoping that Tracer would be knocked down a peg, but that hasn't happened. Polishing Ashe while leaving Tracer nerfed is a strange miss, but what's even more of a bummer is that a hero that players have been asking to see updated has gone without changes yet again.

Overwatch 2's Mercy Remains a Weak Link

Overwatch 2 players have been constantly asking for a Mercy overhaul, with suggestions ranging from brand new abilities to making Flash Heal part of her base kit and giving her another perk. While she will inevitably still be played because there is a passionate community of Mercy players, and because she will be able to boost the now terrifying Ashe for additional damage, the big problem with Mercy remains. She simply lacks play options outside of her frustrating rez, which is hard to pull off and always feels unfair to the opposing team.

Mercy's most recent changes came back at the start of Season 18 on August 26, and saw the Winged Reach perk replaced with Divine Momentum. It's been over 75 days since Mercy received any adjustments to her kit.

While a major rework of Mercy would make more sense for something like Season 20, which has been hyped by Blizzard as a game changer for the hero shooter, there was still a chance for her to get some kind of buff or the aforementioned lightning healing change right now. For Mercy mains, it has been frustrating to see heroes like Reinhardt become bigger playmakers in Monitorings sequel, while Mercy is essentially the odd one out, and it remains to be seen if that will ever change. Certainly, there is much to appreciate Overwatch 2s latest patch, but ignores Mercy, buffs Ashe, and fails to nerf Tracer as key misses this time around. Hopefully, Season 20's balancing act will hone in on any underpowered or overpowered heroes, as on paper there are some red flags to be concerned about for the rest of Season 19.