The Overwatch Season 1 update brings a ton of hero buffs and nerfs that look set to completely change the meta going forward.
Season 1 marks the beginning of a whole new chapter for Overwatch, one that puts the focus on storytelling. After dropping the two from its name, the game will now serve up a yearly story before resetting after 12 months.
As part of this new shift, there are five new characters being added to the roster. But that doesn’t mean that the existing heroes are being ignored, as the huge batch brings plenty of balancing changes designed to level the playing field.
Here are all of the buffs and nerfs in the Overwatch Season 1 update. A
All hero changes in OW Season 1
Tank
D.Va
● Base Health reduced from 375 to 325. (5v5)
○ Total reduced from 700 to 650
● Base Health reduced from 300 to 250. (6v6)
○ Total reduced from 600 to 550
Mauga
● Kinetic Bandolier – Minor Perk
○ Ammo generation now grants 150 ammo instantly instead of over time.
Orisa
● Protective Barrier – Major Perk (6v6)
○ Cooldown increased from 8 to 10 seconds.
● Charged Javelin – Major Perk
○ Fixed animation issues when charging Javelin.
Reinhardt
● Barrier Re-Charge – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Crusader’s Resolve – Minor Perk
○ While using Barrier Field, passive health regeneration triggers 75% sooner.
Roadhog
● Take a Breather (5v5)
○ Resource maximum duration increased from 2.5 to 3 seconds.
● Pulled Pork – Major Perk
○ Overhealth maximum increased from 250 to 300.
Sigma
● Experimental Barrier
○ Barrier health reduced from 700 to 650.
● Hyper Regeneration – Minor Perk
○ Barrier health conversion rate reduced from 50% to 40%.
Winston
● Barrier Toss – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Electric Charge – Minor Perk
○ Winston gains 10% movement speed for each enemy damaged by his primary fire, up to 30%.
Wrecking Ball
● Pack Rat – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Multi-Ball – Minor Perk
○ Press Ultimate within 5 seconds after using Minefield to deploy 7 additional mines.
Zarya
● Particle Cannon
○ Primary fire maximum damage per second reduced from 190 to 175.
● Energy Converter – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Spotter – Minor Perk
○ Moved from Major to Minor.
○ Movement speed bonus reduced from 25% to 20%.
● Energy Lance – Major Perk
○ No longer requires being above 50 energy.
● Extra Oomph – Major Perk
○ While a Barrier is active, dealing damage with Particle Cannon’s beam generates energy.
Damage
Ashe
● Sidewinder – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Double-Barreled – Minor Perk
○ Knocking an enemy back with Coach Gun briefly allows it to be used again with 25% reduced knockback.
Anran
Fan the Flames
● Impact damage increased from 4 to 5
● Maximum ammo increased from 8 to 10
Inferno Rush
● Maximum vertical height reduced by 20%
● Added “hold to use Inferno Rush” hero option
Dancing Blaze
● Cooldown decreased from 10 to 8 seconds
● Cleansing effect removed
Cassidy
● Combat Roll
○ Cooldown reduced from 6 to 5 seconds.
● Gun Slingin’ – Major Perk
○ Removed.
● Rollin’ Round-Up – Major Perk
○ Combat Roll heals 15 health for each bullet reloaded.
Echo
● Focused Rush – Minor Perk
○ Movement speed bonus increased from 10% to 20%.
Freja
● Hunter’s Instinct – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Relentless Barrage – Minor Perk
○ Moved from Major to Minor.
● Rising Winds – Major Perk
○ Updraft gains an additional charge but has 20% reduced height.
Hanzo
● Lunging – Minor Perk
○ Removed
● Dragon Fury – Minor Perk
○ Moved from Major to Minor.
○ Attack speed reduced from 25% to 20%.
○ Duration reduced from 2 to 1.5 seconds.
● Frost Arrow – Major Perk
○ Press Reload to ready an explosive frost arrow that slows enemies by 35% for 3 seconds.
Pharah
● Sky Spy – Major Perk
○ Removed.
● Rocket Salvo – Major Perk
○ After using a movement ability, the next primary fire shoots two spiraling mini-rockets, each dealing 40 damage.
Reaper
● Shadow Step
○ No longer cleanses on use.
Soldier: 76
● Tactical Salvo – Minor Perk
○ Added: Using Helix Rockets no longer interrupts primary fire during Tactical Visor.
● Recycled Pulse Munitions – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Helix Propulsion – Minor Perk
○ Helix Rocket projectile speed increased by 50%.
Sombra
● Opportunist
○ No longer detects enemies below half health.
○ Now reveals enemy ultimate abilities on nameplates.
● Healthy Hacker – Major Perk
○ Removed.
● High-Speed Bandwidth – Major Perk
○ Hacked health packs grant allies 25% movement speed and 50 overhealth for 4 seconds.
Torbjörn
● Fully Loaded – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Pre-Heated – Minor Perk
○ Molten Core activates Overload.
Tracer
● Pulse Pistols
○ Damage reduced from 6 to 5.75.
○ Gains the increased global projectile size (0.04 meters).
● Chronal Dash – Minor Perk
○ Blink distance increased by 20%.
● Flashback – Major Perk
○ Removed.
● Blink Packs – Major Perk
○ Moved from Minor to Major.
Vendetta
● Health increased from 150 to 175.
● Armor reduced from 125 to 100.
● Soaring Slice
○ Cooldown increased from 6 to 7 seconds.
● Extra Edge – Minor Perk
○ Projected Edge costs 25% less energy.
● Relentless – Major Perk
○ Moved from Minor to Major.
● Swift Vengeance – Major Perk
○ Removed.
Widowmaker
● Seeker Mine – Major Perk
○ Damage increased from 50 to 75 over its duration.
● Escape Plan – Major Perk
○ Removed.
● Widow’s Bite – Major Perk
○ Scoped shots can charge up to 125%, piercing enemies when fully charged.
Support
Baptiste
● Assault Burst – Minor Perk
○ Moved from Major to Minor.
○ Attack speed reduced from 25% to 20%.
● Biotic Reloader – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Expanded Field – Minor Perk
○ Immortality Field radius increased by 30%.
● Automated Healing – Major Perk
○ Moved from Minor to Major.
○ Healing per shot increased from 25 to 40.
Illari
● Solar Rifle – Secondary Fire
○ Resource regeneration reduced from 43 to 35.
● Outburst
○ Cooldown increased from 7 to 8 seconds.
● Solar Flare – Major Perk
○ No longer costs resource.
○ Now has a 10-second cooldown.
Kiriko
● Healing Ofuda
○ Projectile speed increased from 18 to 24.
● Swift Step
○ No longer cleanses on use.
● Foxtrot – Major Perk
○ Removed increased cooldown recovery buff
○ Movement speed buff duration increased from 2 to 4 seconds
Lifeweaver
● Tree of Life
○ Overhealth conversion rate from overhealing increased from 50% to 100%.
● Lifeweaving – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Cleaning Grasp – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Petal Power – Major Perk
○ Removed.
● Petal Protection – Minor Perk
○ Allies heal 20 health per second while standing on Petal Platform.
● Dashing Escape – Minor Perk
○ Rejuvenating Dash distance increased by 30%.
● Sow the Seed – Major Perk
○ Quick Melee with Healing Blossom equipped tosses a seed forward.
○ Allies who pick up a seed gain 75 overhealth and 25% movement speed for 5 seconds.
Mercy
● Sympathetic Recovery – Passive
○ Removed.
● Swift Recovery – Passive
○ Health regeneration begins sooner.
Moira
● Destruction’s Divide – Minor Perk
○ Focused healing/damage bonus increased from 25% to 30%
Wuyang
● Restorative Stream
○ Passive healing reduced from 25 to 20.
○ Beam healing increased from 50 to 55.
Zenyatta
● Transcendent Condemnation – Minor Perk
○ Removed.
● Discordant Repair – Minor Perk
○ Zenyatta gains 10% lifesteal against enemies affected by Discord Orb.
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