Overwatch 2 balance patch leaks ahead of OWL playoffs: Sombra, D.Va & Genji nerfed

An upcoming Overwatch 2 balance patch will be arriving in time for the OWL Playoffs and will feature some big nerfs for some of the game’s more meta heroes.

Overwatch 2 has been out for a bit now and while it’s yet to receive a full balance patch, there are some big changes in the pipeline for a number of heroes in the DPS and tank role.

According to a report by GGRecon, the patch will go live on the OWL Practice Server on October 24, but teams received knowledge about the update earlier this week.

It’s not clear when the update will be going live for the general public, but the leaked patch notes could finally bring heroes like Zarya and Sombra more in line with the rest of the cast.

Overwatch 2 patch leaked

Sombra has been a major threat in Overwatch 2, gaining the ability to hack while invisible. Currently, shooting a hacked target lets Sombra deal 40% more damage – something the devs are looking to fix by decreasing it significantly.

Genji is also getting some nerfs to his Shurikens, with the damage being decreased by 2. Additionally, his ammo is being reduced by six, which will make him need to reload far more often.

Zarya and D.Va are being nerfed too as the two dominant tanks thus far. For Zarya, her barrier duration is being reduced by half a second, which could result in way less charge while D.Va is getting her damaged nerfed.

The MEKA pilot’s Fusion Cannon spread is being increased and her boosters will now deal 15 damage instead of 25, making her a bit less lethal.

We’ll have to wait and see when this patch goes live and if anything else will be included, such as nerfs to the controversial new DPS hero Sojourn.

Full patch notes:

Sombra

• Hack ability lockout duration reduced from 1.75 to 1.5 seconds
• Hacked enemies are no longer valid targets for hacking for the duration of the effect
• Hacked damage multiplier reduced from 40 to 25%

Genji

• Maximum ammo reduced from 30 to 24
• Shuriken damage reduced from 29 to 27

Zarya

• Barrier duration reduced from 2.5 to 2 seconds
• Barrier cooldown increased from 10 to 11 seconds

D.Va

• Fusion Cannon spread increased from 3.5 to 3.75
• Boosters impact damage reduced from 25 to 15