Overwatch 2's April Fools Patch Notes are No Joke
Let's get straight to the point.
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Tanks
Orisa, Reinhardt, Roadhog, Junker Queen, Zarya, Winston, Sigma, Wrecking Ball, D.Va, Doomfist, Ramattra
Damage
Ashe, Bastion, Cassidy, Echo, Genji, Hanzo, Junkrat, Mei, Pharah, Reaper, Soldier: 76, Sombra, Symmetra, Torbjörn, Tracer, Widowmaker
Support
Ana, Baptiste, Brigitte, Kiriko, Lúcio, Mercy, Moira, Zenyatta
All Heroes
All heroes have new Ultimate Voice Lines
Keep 50% of Ultimate Charge when swapping heroes
Developer Comment: "Veteran players have an advantage over newer ones when it comes to voice line recognition. In order to level the playing field, we’ve written and recorded new Ultimate voice lines for every hero.:
To help players learn these new callouts, we’ve also increased the amount of Ultimate charge retained when swapping heroes.
Damage Role Passive
Heal 50 health on elimination
Developer Comment: It’s frustrating when you dive the backline by yourself and get no healing, especially when your team’s support heroes are busy respawning. This change should help keep you alive, at least.
Support Role Passive
Gain 30% increased movement speed for 4 seconds when reaching low health
Developer Comment: It’s tough to stay alive when flankers are about. This change should even out the odds a bit when you get ambushed. Please don’t use this offensively.
TANK
Tank Role Passive
Gain Ultimate charge 10% faster
The hero that gets the final blow on a tank gains a significant amount of ultimate charge
Developer Comment: Tank heroes are the raid bosses of teams. You should be fairly rewarded for defeating them, right?
DOOMFIST
Seismic Slam
Can be empowered by Power Block
Damage increased from 50 to 75 when empowered
Enemies hit by the shockwave are launched into the air
Developer Comment: The empowered Fist can also level a skyscraper or open a glass jar in a single attempt.
D.VA
Defense Matrix
After deflecting a projectile, Defense Matrix deals 30 damage to enemies within its area of effect over 1 second
Defense Matrix killing blows grant an additional 5% Ult Charge
Developer Comment: It turns out the beams used to destroy projectiles also really hurt when used on people.
JUNKER QUEEN
Commanding Shout
Applies a bleed to enemies in range when activated
Developer Comment: Junker Queen yells so loud she damages the eardrums of her foes. Don’t worry though, it’s still a “friendly shout of encouragement” for her allies.
ORISA
Javelin Spin
While in the air, Javelin Spin pulls Orisa forward in her facing direction
Fortify
Increases falling speed and deals damage in an area when Orisa lands on the ground
Developer Comment: It is believed that the threat of Orisa’s aerial body slam is the biggest crime deterrent in Numbani.
RAMATTRA
Omnic Form Disabled
Ramatta is now always in Nemesis Form
Bonus armor decreased from 225 to 125
Void Barrier
Moved to Ability 1
Block
Now has a 1-second cooldown when disengaged
Developer Comment: Ramattra is a lot more effective when he’s in Nemesis Form, so he’ll stay like that until everyone has suffered as much as he has.
REINHARDT
Reinhardt Comment: I COULDN’T CHARGE THE ENEMIES THAT WERE IN THE AIR SO I ASKED TORBJORN TO HELP ME OUT. NOW I AM THE ULTIMATE CRUSHING MACHINE, EVEN IN THE SKY!!!!!
Charge
Now grants flight. Hold Jump to float up and Crouch to go down
Steering increased by 33%
ROADHOG
Developer Comment: In order to further align Roadhog as a tank who punishes bad positioning, we’ve increased the range of Hook to make all positioning bad positioning.
Chain Hook
Range increased by 50%
SIGMA
Developer Comment: Gravitic energy is quite potent. If it’s strong enough to lift a giant rock, it can lift anyone.
Accretion
Enemies hit by the impact are knocked back and experience low gravity for 4 seconds
Cooldown decreased from 10 to 8 seconds
WINSTON
Dev Comment: Winston!
Winston?
Winston!
WRECKING BALL
Developer Comment: Wrecking Ball unleashes his signature moves that made him the Champion of the Scrapyard battle arena.
Grappling Claw
Maximum speed is temporarily increased when bouncing off walls
Minefield
Mines slowly move toward nearby enemies
ZARYA
Dev Comment: Gravity gravitates. That’s just science!
Graviton Surge
Moves towards Zarya after deploying.
Particle Cannon
Self-knockback on secondary fire scales with Energy level.
DAMAGE
ASHE
Update: April 1, 2023: She has been disabled in this game move. Hopefully, She returns soon.
Dev Comment: In order to be more accurate to the fantasy, Dynamite fire now spreads between players.
Dynamite
Fire spreads to nearby enemies up to 4 times
BASTION
Developer Comment: Bastion downloaded a software update, upgrading “Configuration: Assault” and allowing it to simulate his old “Configuration: Tank”
Configuration: Assault
While active, Tactical Grenade has a 0.5 second cooldown
CASSIDY
Developer Comment: Cassidy can dodge anything using his cat-like reflexes. It’s a bit rough on his spine, though.
Combat Roll
Now costs regenerating stamina instead of having a cooldown
Dodge all damage when Combat Roll is active
Ammo reloaded decreased from 6 to 2
ECHO
Developer Comment: Echo now uses more of her fingers when shooting enemies.
Tri Shot
Now fires 2 additional projectiles
Damage per projectile decreased from 17 to 12
GENJI
Developer Comment: Spamming a voice line for healing finally does something after everyone else has tuned you out!
Sometimes Genji heals himself when requesting healing
HANZO
Developer Comment: Hanzo spent many years mastering the bow and geometry to pull off this feat. It DEFINITELY has nothing to do with magic.
Storm Arrow
Storm arrows ricochet toward the Sonic Arrow
JUNKRAT
Developer Comment: Junkrat was a bit careless when packing his grenades, so now they spill out of his pockets whenever he knocks himself back.
Total Mayhem
Drop grenades when launching yourself with Concussion Mine
MEI
Developer Comment: We noticed a decrease in Mei players helping their team “group up” in spawn with Ice Wall. This is core to Mei’s gameplay, so we added additional ice pillars to help facilitate it.
Ice Wall
Spawns more pillars and has slightly different configurations
PHARAH
Developer Comment: Rocket Jump? Sounds dangerous. But it is a viable means of travel when you can’t afford enough fuel.
Rocket Launcher
Rockets deal no self-damage and have increased knockback
Barrage
Pharah can be knocked back while Barrage is active
Barrage rockets now have self-knockback
Hover Jets
Fuel decreased by 33%
REAPER
Developer Comment: After getting shot one too many times, Reaper no longer poses in place before teleporting despite it looking very cool.
Shadow Step
Movement is no longer locked after confirming a teleport location
SOJOURN
Developer Comment: Sojourn hasn’t been performing quite up to our expectations after reducing her one-shot potential. To remedy this, we’ve added a very fair stun to her kit
Power Slide
Now impacts enemies dealing 75 damage, launching them upward, and knocking them down for 1.5 seconds
SOLDIER: 76
Developer Comment: Why leave it on the ground when you can keep it in your pocket instead?
Biotic Field
Now attached to Soldier: 76 when activated
SOMBRA
Developer Comment: As a safety measure, the Translocator will forcibly separate solid objects that have been teleported into each other. Unfortunately, this process is also quite painful.
Translocator
Now deals 120 damage in an area at the teleport destination.
Projectile speed increased from 25 to 40
Cooldown decreased from 10 seconds to 6 seconds
SYMMETRA
Developer Comment: It turns out there was a setting on Sentry Turrets that let’s them immediately target enemies when thrown! Symmetra estimates this change increases their efficiency by 32.33%...repeating, of course!
Sentry Turret
Turrets can now target enemies while in-flight
Turrets have 60% damage resistance before sticking to terrain
TORBJÖRN
Dev Comment: We noticed that Torbjorn relies a little too heavily on his turret to deal consistent damage, so you won’t believe this one simple balance change that fixes that and makes him 1000% overpowered!
Overload
Now also causes Rivet Gun and Forge Hammer to ignite enemies, dealing 30 additional damage over time
TRACER
Developer Comment: Tracer now leaves a vacuum when she Recalls into the past. We are pretty sure this is how time travel works and will be taking no questions.
Recall
Pulls in nearby enemies when activated
Pulse Bomb
Arming time increased from 1 second to 2 seconds
WIDOWMAKER
Developer Comment: Poisonous bullets don’t work as quickly as normal ones do, but at least there’s more room for counterplay.
Widow’s Kiss
Critical hits deal their damage over 3 seconds as poison
Widowmaker can see poisoned enemies through walls
SUPPORT
ANA
Developer Comment: Turns out whatever is in those syringes hurts a lot more when applied to the forehead.
Biotic Rifle
Can now headshot enemies
BAPTISTE
Developer Comment: Rumor has it that Baptiste is the record holder for both high and long jump.
Exo Boots
Jumping with Exo Boots has more horizontal distance, scaling with the charge amount
Hold Jump after using Exo Boots to keep bouncing
BRIGITTE
Developer Comment: Whip Shot now whips YOU! Works better if you say, “wheeeeee” while flailing about.
Whip Shot
Brigitte is pulled towards the flail head
KIRIKO
Dev Comment: Kanezaka is a big town and Kiriko has lots of protecting to do. This change should help her get to where she needs to go in a timely fashion, especially during rush hour.
Swift Step
Range increased from 35 to 350m
Cooldown now scales with distance traveled
LÚCIO
Developer Comment: We were alerted that Soundwave was able to knock back entire heroes but couldn’t do anything to projectiles. We’ve corrected this logical inconsistency.
Soundwave
Now deflects projectiles
Cooldown decreased from 4 to 3 seconds
MERCY
Developer Comment: Our stats show that the “Battle Mercy” playstyle isn’t as common as we hoped. Here’s a small change that should nudge her damage potential in the right direction.
Caduceus Blaster
Ammo increased from 25 to 125
Projectile speed increased from 50 to 125
MOIRA
Developer Comment: You know that random Orb that killed you from across the map? That was 100% intentional. Biotics Orbs follow Moira’s every command, though they only understand “Stop” and “Go.”
Biotic Orb
Pressing the ability input while Biotic Orbs are active causes them to stop or start moving
ZENYATTA
Developer Comment: Zenyatta calls this technique the “Flying Kick,” but since he’s always floating should it just be called “Kick”?
Snap Kick
Launches Zenyatta in his facing direction when used in the air