Overwatch 2 Hero Designer confirms Zenyatta changes to improve tanking experience

Michael Gwilliam
zenyatta next to overwatch 2 logo in invasion ending

Nerfs are on the way to one of Overwatch 2’s most popular support heroes in hopes of making the tank role more fun to play.

Tanks in Overwatch 2 have quite a lot to deal with right now given how many status effects have been implemented and the strength of the support roster.

As players await the Season 7 patch and the upcoming Sombra rework, Lead Hero Designer Alec Dawson confirmed that the team is looking to make the tank experience better.

Following up on his latest Director’s Take blog post, Dawson pinpointed some additional changes in the works, and Zenyatta’s Discord Orb, which amplifies damage received by 25%, is on the chopping block.

Zenyatta NYXL
Zenyatta is getting changes in an upcoming patch.

Overwatch 2 devs confirm Zenyatta nerfs coming in Season 7

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Alec Dawson responded to a player inquiring about plans to improve the tank experience in OW2.

“Has the team been discussing the current general sentiment that tanks are kinda unfun to play right now? Any potential changes you guys have been discussing?” a fan wondered.

Dawson was quick to respond, revealing the tanks are at the top of the team’s priority list and one of the ways they’re looking to make improve them is through more changes to Zenyatta.

The hero designer replied, “Currently working on some near term changes for Discord Orb.”

Although he didn’t elaborate, we can speculate on what these changes will be. One possible revamp is that Discord’s power will be reduced when it’s applied to tanks so they don’t melt as easily.

However, this could mean that Discord’s power is buffed against supports and DPS heroes to compensate for the nerf on tanks in preparation for a new tank character planned to debut in Season 8.

We’ll have to see what the full-scale changes are once the Season 7 patch drops, but in the meantime, keep it locked to Dexerto for more Overwatch 2 news and updates.

About The Author

Michael Gwilliam is a senior writer at Dexerto based in Ontario, Canada. He specializes in Overwatch, Smash, influencers, and Twitch culture. Gwilliam has written for sites across Canada including the Toronto Sun. You can contact him at michael.gwilliam@dexerto.com or on Twitter @TheGwilliam