The tank D.Va from Overwatch is being significantly revamped. There are brand new abilities for the Korean heroine!
Overwatch is currently dominated by the “Dive Meta.” The entire team relies on fast heroes who can quickly advance, intercept enemy bullets, and decide the fight before it even starts.
The heroine D.Va is a key character for this playstyle. Especially her Defense Matrix is crucial, as it protects a large part of her team from enemy fire. However, this is particularly exciting for the player of D.Va – essentially, you are just a battery for the Defense Matrix.
D.Va gets a new ability
This is not only seen by the players, but also by the developers. Principal Designer Geoff Goodman has commented on this in the official forum, revealing that they are already internally working on a rework for D.Va.
- Defense Matrix will now be consumed at double speed. Thus, the maximum active time of this ability is reduced by 50%.
- Boosters: D.Va can now shoot with her weapons while flying.
- New ability: Micro Missiles – D.Va fires a long salvo of missiles that explode on impact and deal damage in a small area. This ability can be used while other abilities are active or while D.Va is firing her weapons.
The goal of these changes is to weaken the Defense Matrix, but not D.Va as a character. Goodman states:
“The combination of these changes allows D.Va to play more aggressively and deal more damage – at the cost of her Defense Matrix. The Matrix remains a very powerful tool when used at the right moment, but the reduced duration means that D.Va cannot use it as often as before.”
The ability to shoot while flying or use the Micro Missiles creates many new opportunities. For example, D.Va can effectively take down a Pharah from the sky.
Please keep in mind that these changes are currently only being tested internally at Blizzard. Whether they will actually go live is not yet guaranteed.
What do you think of these changes? “D.Va OP!” or “RIP D.Va”?
