Overwatch 2 nerfs for Zarya, Genji, Dva, Sombra coming in season one

Overwatch 2 nerfs are on the way for several heroes, says Blizzard game director Aaron Keller, with tweaks expected for Zarya, Genji, Dva, and Sombra as some of the strongest-performing heroes in the FPS game’s first week of release. Following a blog from the Overwatch 2 balance team, which suggested that the team was roundly very happy with the current Overwatch 2 meta and that balance changes would largely be held until season two in December, Keller took to Twitter to clarify that some tweaks are in the works.

Echoing the blog post, Keller says that “Live balance is feeling pretty good so our midseason balance patch will be fairly minor.” However, he does explain that some changes should be anticipated. He says the team will be “looking at small number tweaks to heroes like Zarya, Genji, and D.Va, as well as a focus on Sombra and her hack.”

All four heroes were highlighted in the original blog, with Zarya in particular singled out as her new shared bubble cooldown mechanic implemented in Overwatch 2 has seen her at the top of the tank list and, in particular, feeling rather busted in the game’s hyper-chaotic Total Mayhem game mode where cooldowns are vastly sped up.

Sombra is also discussed in detail, as hefty recent buffs to her hack have made her dramatically more popular and the team notes that it wants “to ensure her targets have a reasonable time to fight back,” with many players reporting that the cloaking Mexican DPS can feel overly oppressive for tank players to deal with.

Keller says that fans can expect more details on the specific changes and the timing they can be expected to land soon. With the Overwatch League seasonal finals due to take place from October 30 – November 5, it’s possible that the team will look to implement its balance patch prior to that, although the OWL teams usually operate on a standalone patch that can sometimes be slightly behind the live game to ensure consistency. Fans can expect to see newcomer Kiriko in the lineup for the playoffs, however.

We’ve detailed all the Overwatch 2 changes you need to know about going into the makeover of the multiplayer game, and our guide to the best Overwatch 2 settings should set you up for success. If you’re unsure who to pick, our Overwatch 2 tier list is a great place to start. You won’t be alone either – Blizzard has announced that the Overwatch 2 player count has already broken 25 million players just ten days after launch.