Jeff Kaplan reveals focus of next Overwatch experimental card

Andrew Amos

The Overwatch experimental card has proven to be a great way to test changes Blizzard wants to implement. It’s just about to get another update soon, with Jeff Kaplan revealing what Team 4 are targeting this time around.

The experimental card feature in Overwatch has opened the door for Blizzard to test features before setting them live in-game. From tinkering with role lock, to buffing certain heroes in certain ways, it’s the developer’s big sandpit that players can join in on.

With Overwatch’s balance in the air after the introduction of hero pools, among other things, the experimental card is constantly being updated so the devs can get an idea of what’s important.

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So, there’s a lot of fanfare surrounding what the next card will be. With some heroes being neglected for a relatively long time, like Bastion or Soldier: 76, players are wondering if they’ll get their time in the sun again.

They might ⁠— however, it won’t be with direct changes to those heroes. Jeff Kaplan has outlined that crowd control is the next focus of the experimental card, and trying to down its power.

“The next experimental card changes are targeted at CC reduction across multiple heroes,” Kaplan stated in an April 14 forum post.

Mei using ice gun in Overwatch
Crowd control is the target of Overwatch’s next experimental card.

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The specifics of these crowd control centered changes are unclear for now. Heroes like Doomfist and Mei, who have a lot of disruption in their kit, are likely to take a hit.

They could also swing it the other way. Heroes with very little ways of defending themselves from CC, like Bastion or Soldier: 76, could get a little boost.

Whether they target crowd control damage, or the duration of stuns, or how CC layers ⁠— none of this is really known. All the players do know is that fixing Overwatch’s crowd control issues are high on Blizzard’s priority list.

Bastion in turret form in Overwatch
Heroes with no protection against CC, like Bastion, might also get a buff.

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There’s no set date for the experimental card changes, but they should be on their way shortly if the developer team is talking about them publicly.

We will keep you updated with any new information about Overwatch’s next experimental card as it comes.

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About The Author

Hailing from Perth, Andrew was formerly Dexerto's Australian Managing Editor. They love telling stories across all games and esports, but they have a soft spot for League of Legends and Rainbow Six. Oh, and they're also fascinated by the rise of VTubers.