This is a Hero balance hotfix. Replay codes from the April 22, 2025 patch are still available.
Quick Dash – Ability 1
Updraft – Ability 2
Developer Comments: We want to make sure that every Hero has answers to their potential counter so we’re increasing D.Va’s ability to combat Zarya’s beam damage.
Plot Armor – Rare Hero Survival Item
Developer Comments: Every Hero generates Stadium Cash from dealing damage and healing at a rate unique to them which we’re monitoring carefully. We think we set the rate of Cassidy’s earnings too high and he’s earning a bit too much Stadium Cash, allowing him to consistently get MVPs and buy late game Items early on.
Developer Comments: Reinhardt and Zarya have been performing well so far. We’re increasing the power of this Item to help players combat their powerful barriers.
Developer Comments: We’ve observed that sometimes tanks can be a bit too… well, tanky! Volskaya Ordnance was a tough Item to make work for not a big enough pay off, so we’re adding a little bit of power here to make it a more efficient Item to buy in those cases.
Developer Comments: We’re increasing the Damage Reduction of Iron Eyes to give players more powerful tools to combat builds with high burst damage.
Developer Comments: We’re increasing the Damage Reduction of Reinforced Titanium to give players more powerful tools to combat builds with high burst damage.
This is a hotfix for bugs recently discovered. Replay codes from the April 22, 2025 patch are still available.
D.Va
Genji
Roadhog
Sigma
Zenyatta
Enter the ultimate battleground with Stadium , an all-new way to play Overwatch 2 where customization takes the reigns in a fun, best of seven, round based fight. Then, celebrate the launch with the Stadium: Initiation seasonal event to unlock exclusive rewards. Plus, the relentless bounty hunter Freja arrives as the latest DPS Hero, bringing precision and mobility to every match. Meanwhile, the battlefield transforms with stunning skins, from the Dokiwatch team—led by Mythic Heart of Hope Juno—to Legendary Ashe, Genji, Brigitte, Lifeweaver, and Mauga in the Premium Battle Pass. Whether you’re outwitting opponents in Stadium, hunting your prey with Freja, or wielding magic with Dokiwatch, this season is packed with action, strategy, and a whole lot more.
Celebrate Stadium’s launch with the Stadium: Initiation, a special event where winning earns you more than just bragging rights. Make a name for yourself by conquering challenges, climbing the ranks, and unlocking seasonal cosmetics like the Stadium Rookie Soldier: 76 and Stadium All-Star Juno skins before they’re gone. Perfect your strategy, dominate your opponents, or just simply rake in some wins for the fun of it (and the prizes)—the Stadium: Initiation event is the here for you to flex your skills and reap the rewards all season long.
Step into Stadium, an all-new way to play Overwatch 2! This fast-paced, best-of-7, round-based experience you to strategically build your Hero’s loadout, customize on the fly, and outmaneuver your foes with tactical upgrades to rise through the Stadium ranking system. With the option to play in first or third person, bounties to speed up progress or make comebacks, and the freedom to play your Heroes in completely different ways, no two battles will ever be the same. Plus, Stadium will have 17 Heroes available at launch with regular updates bringing more Heroes, modes, Items, abilities, maps, and balances to keep things fresh. Rewrite the rules, conquer the ultimate battleground, and have some fun in Stadium. Learn more about how Stadium is played in our official blog.
Once Overwatch’s top search-and-rescue operative, Freja now uses her elite tracking skills to hunt targets as a merciless bounty hunter. Agile, aggressive, and lethal, Freja rewards players who think fast, reposition smart, and strike with precision. Armed with her Revdraw Crossbow and a deadly set of movement abilities, Freja excels in high-pressure combat. Plus, her Bola Shot Ultimate tangles enemies together, setting up devastating team plays. With a dynamic, strategy-driven kit, she’s built for players who thrive on precision—and she never misses her mark.
Juno, the newest Hero of Heart, steps into the fight against Woe with her Mythic Heart of Hope skin, featuring four brilliant stages of customization that evolve as her radiance grows. From a bright-eyed protector to an unstoppable warrior, and even a corrupted version lost to Woe In between, her progression tells a story of resilience and destiny. With dynamic ability VFX, shifting colorways, new hairstyles, and the Sharks of Dreams by her side, Juno’s transformation is more than just cosmetic—it’s a magical journey, yours to shape.
Introducing the new Iridescent Aspects, a prismatic upgrade that lets you bring even more personality to your fully leveled Mythic Hero Skins. This dazzling new customization option adds a vibrant, high-energy finish, making your Hero stand out like never before. Mythic Heart of Hope Juno’s Iridescent Aspect debuts at launch on April 22, with all previous Mythic Hero Skins gaining their Iridescent Aspects starting May 20.
Developer Comments: The battlefield just got more dynamic. With Hero Bans, you can influence matchups in Competitive Play through team-based voting to remove key counters from the game, leading to fresh strategies. You can remove up to two Heroes per match per team, so coordinate with your team, adapt your plans, and shape the meta your way.
Developer Comments: At the start of Season 15 we introduced perks, and it’s been amazing to see how you’ve embraced and experimented with them. Our goal is to make sure there’s always a meaningful choice when it comes to both Minor and Major perks, with decisions influenced by the state of the game and your preferred playstyle. We’re constantly iterating on perks, which is why we’re making some changes across the Hero roster. There will be new perks for 9 Heroes, aiming to give those Heroes fresh and exciting ways to fight on the battlefield. We’re also fine-tuning several perks to improve the gameplay experience for both players who use them and those who face them. It’s been incredible to watch the community embrace this new system, and we’re constantly reviewing your feedback to make Perks as great as they can possibly be!
Bunny Stomp
Bunny Power
Extended Boosters
Off the Top
Developer Comments: Orisa has been underperforming in comparison to other tanks. Increasing her damage to allow her to be more threatening without boosting her survivability.
Augmented Fusion Driver
Fortify
Heat Dissipater
Fiery Uptake
Crusader’s Fire
Shield Slam
Hog Toss
Pent Up
Hogdrogen Exposure
Levitation
Developer Comments: With the introduction of perks, Winston has been overperforming. By adjusting his survivability—exchanging some of his armor for health—we aim to bring him in line with other tanks, without significantly impacting his overall gameplay.
Past Noon
Even the Odds
Developer Comments: We received positive feedback during Freja’s Hero trial, and it’s exciting to see how much you enjoy experimenting with her kit. However, we’ve noticed that Freja is struggling to keep up with other Damage Heroes, particularly in terms of lethality. So, we’re adjusting the time it takes for her to earn her minor perk, bringing it in line with other Heroes. Additionally, we’re increasing the number of shots before her max spread kicks in, making her Revdraw Crossbow more reliable at all ranges. Finally, while Freja’s Bola Shot was charging quickly, its effectiveness was somewhat lacking. We’re boosting both its damage and radius slightly, ensuring it can better secure eliminations when it lands.
Revdraw Crossbow
Bola Shot
Developer Comments: Restoring the functionality of Hanzo’s Storm Bow to retain draw progress will enable him to use wall climb more effectively, improving his ability to take space and position himself.
Storm Bow
Storm Arrows
Aluminum Frame
Tick Tock
Chilling Reach
Biting Cold
Deep Freeze
Viral Efficacy
Encrypted Upload
Stack Overflow
Viral Replication
Field Emergency
Overloaded Turret
Flashback
Quantum Entanglement
Groggy
Biotic Bounce
Biotic Launcher
Assault Burst
Hyper Boost
Re-Boots
Locked On
Thorn Volley
Lifeweaving
Groovin
Beat Drop
Angelic Recovery
Angelic Resurrection
Orb of Discord
Ascendance
Duality
Juno
Kiriko
Ramattra
This is a hero balance hotfix. Replay codes from the April 1, 2025 patch are still available.
These changes only apply to heroes for the Totally Normalwatch game mode.
There is nothing to worry about here. Everything is perfectly normal. The development team has been dealing with an ant problem at their desks for the last few weeks and somehow caused these changes to take place somewhere in the game, but we think we fixed it… maybe. Don’t look at that game mode in the Arcade. We’re not sure where it came from. We’ll try to get it taken down but we’re not able to update that until April 14. Until we do, we’ve put up some challenges to distract you with and you can earn some new cosmetics including the Rainy Ducky Orisa Legendary Skin. Thanks, and you may now resume your totally normal Overwatch 2 experience.
Perks are disabled as we address an issue with a certain member of the development team yelling “PERKS!” every time they say the word Perks in our meetings.
Developer Comments: The Meka Squad are having a rough time against the Gwishin Omnics. So, they are experimenting with new designs to save on materials and rations.
Developer Comment: Doomfist decided the best way to win is by punching the opponents… a lot.
Developer Comments: Hazard got tired of rooting people in place, so he thought he’d try knocking them around instead.
Developer Comments: Everyone got tired of Junker Queen shouting at them and started to ignore her. So, she has gotten selfish and is hoarding her Commanding Shout buffs for herself. She always wants to directly confront anyone who gets hit by Gracie .
Developer Comments: Gunny and Cha-Cha will now lift up their Papa, and whoever is tethered to him.
Developer Comments: “I see you glancing at me. You wish to ride me into battle?”
Developer Comments: Ramattra has elevated the discourse of battle, along with his opponents.
Developer Comments: Reinhardt recently saw some street racing anime and has become so obsessed with it that he has learned to drift.
Developer Comments: We’ve been seen everyone’s feedback about Chain Hook being so inconsistent over the years, so we hope that throwing three of them at once makes it more reliably lethal.
Developer Comments: Sigma’s realized he was not abiding by Newton’s third law of motion, so he figures by deflecting the projectiles he blocks with Kinetic Grasp would make him a more psychics law abiding citizen.
Developer Comment: "Winston Slam!"
Developer Comment: Hammond has decided to try imitating tumbleweeds and snowballs.
Developer Comment: Zarya’s enemies have always feared her skills in battle, but now they will run in fear of her reflection too.
Developer Comments: Bob’s arm cannons are in the shop, but he’s much more eager to jump into the fray.
Developer Comments: Bastion made a new friend that happens to be grenade-sized.
Developer Comments: Cassidy recently borrowed Hanzo’s scatter arrow and figured out how to make new ammunition out of the tech.
Developer Comments: Echo is testing new updates in flight technology, but it seems her other abilities were affected.
Developer Comments: Genji can once again spam that annoying emote to heal himself, though there might be negative consequences this time.
Developer Comments: It’s not a preposterous thought. Hanzo is making a longtime dream come true.
Developer Comments: Junkrat loves explosions so much he decided to become one.
Developer Comments: The cold doesn’t bother Mei anymore, but it may bother Mei’s enemies.
Developer Comments: Fixed a bug where Moira was classified as a Support Hero and removed any unintended healing. Thank you for your patience as we resolved this seven-year-old issue that has prevented Moira mains from reaching their ultimate damage potential.
Developer Comment: Pharah now takes her enemies on a magic rocket ride.
Developer Comment: Talon got tired of all of the shotguns Reaper was wasting and cut him off their weapon budget until he learns to be more resourceful.
Developer Comment: Railgun can now be overcharged to deal more damage. WARNING: Okoton Kelvin-87 Railgun’s recoil dampeners not certified for high energy payloads.
Developer Comment: Soldier: 76 being the stubborn old soldier that he is says he doesn’t need any help and can still outrun anyone on the battlefield.
Developer Comment: Sombra is exploiting a memory leak, and the only way to shut her down is to press Alt+F4.
Developer Comments: Symmetra is trying out the latest Vishkar fashions on her allies: turrets! She also traded in her gun for a new tankbuster gun that is overcharged.
Developer Comments: Torbjörn’s turret just needs some hammering to reach maximum potential.
Developer Comments: Reinhardt taught Tracer how to charge very short distances, if she stays low enough.
Developer Comments: Venture got tired of working underground. We hope you dig these changes.
Developer Comments: Widowmaker has learned how to catch her prey in her webbing.
Developer Comment: We’ve heard feedback from Ana players that their teammates ignore them when they call out that they are reloading and go and feed into the enemies anyways. We’re hoping this change makes for good practice for them to start paying more attention to their Support teammates.
• Magazine size reduced from 15 to 1. • Reload speed increased by 25%. • Damage and healing increased from 75 to 150.
Developer Comment: Baptiste discovered some of those old retro platformer video games and now it’s all he ever wants to do.
Developer Comments: Mace to the face was working so well, so Brigitte thought she’d try her shield too.
Developer Comment: Illari got tired of allies being out of healing range, she altered her rifle accordingly.
Developer Comment: We fixed a bug where allies and enemies were not getting welcomed into orbit as indicated by her Ultimate voice line.
Developer Comment: Kiriko took some swiftness out of her step and put it into attack speed. What could go wrong?
Developer Comment: Be careful, as you don’t not want Lifeweaver to be a thorn in your side.
Developer Comments: "Can’t stop, won’t stop."
Developer Comment: Mercy’s new pistol is just like a loot box… you’ll never know what you’ll get.
Developer Comment: "We are all one within the many, googly irises."
Developer Comments: On a positive note, we did fix a few other bugs. (Yes, these are real.)
These patch notes represent general changes made to the Live version of Overwatch and the balance changes listed affect Quick Play, Competitive Play, Arcade, and Custom Games.
Patch Notes – Blizzard Entertainment
