In Overwatch there was the first major balance patch that significantly weakened two characters. The two fans of turrets, Torbjörn and Bastion, have been targeted.
The era of “Turretwatch” is over
For about two weeks now, all players who have received beta access can once again engage in Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch. There have been numerous innovations, such as a new game mode or the progression system, which should keep players entertained in the long run. However, the fun did not last particularly long for most, as two characters seemed almost unbeatable.
Torbjörn and Bastion caused Overwatch to be quickly renamed “Turretwatch” by the testers, as the defending team often only needed a simple strategy: to bring as many Bastions and Torbjörns as possible.
The dwarf Torbjörn can place a turret that can take down many heroes single-handedly – and often from ranges where one cannot even defend oneself.
The robot (or “Omnic”) Bastion can even transform into a turret, becoming stationary, gaining a significant armor bonus, and can still heal itself.
Blizzard has now put a stop to these two heroes and made several balance changes. Instead of just nerfing, they improved the characters in other areas and want to see how the changes will impact gameplay.
For Torbjörn, the following changes occur:
- The turret now only deals 14 damage per shot (previously 16).
- Each hammer strike now only repairs the turret by 50 hit points (previously 100).
- The bolt gun now has only 18 shots (previously 20), but the alternate fire mode now only consumes 3 ammo (instead of 5).
The following changes apply to Bastion:
- The spread of the weapon from Configuration: Recon has been reduced by 25%.
- Configuration: Sentry no longer grants bonus armor, but the damage in this mode has been increased.
After a few matches with these changes, the game feels much more exciting again. The era of “Turretwatch” is likely over – for now.
For more information about the game, such as our first impressions, check out the Overwatch theme page.
