Overwatch 2 streamer KarQ explains why reworked Sombra is better after testing her

Michael Gwilliam
sombra jester skin in overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 content creator ‘KarQ’ has revealed some huge Sombra rework details after being allowed to playtest the changes early.

Sombra’s Overwatch 2 rework has been a long time coming, and fans will finally be able to try it out themselves once Season 7 goes live on October 10.

In the lead-up to the new season, the devs revealed her new Virus ability, a skill shot that deals damage over time. Additionally, changes to her Translocator to make it so that she instantly teleports after throwing it, and Stealth now automatically kicks in when she isn’t using abilities or taking damage.

While the jury is still out on if this rework will be good for the hacker hero, KarQ believes that these changes will be good – especially for lower-level players who simply weren’t getting any value with her in the metal ranks.

Overwatch 2 expert reveals Sombra is much different after rework

According to KarQ, the Sombra changes get rid of one of the most frustrating things about her now that she’s unable to just Translocate out of a fight.

“The change to Translocator is a massive, massive change, more so than the passive automatically taking you into Stealth. If anything, it’s a bit weaker, because previously Sombra could just choose to be Stealth whenever she wants. Now you have to wait a bit,” he said.

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However, the fact that players can’t just plant the Translocator on a health pack is a big win for those who didn’t like fighting against Sombra, as KarQ says it makes going against her less frustrating.

While these changes may sound like an overall nerf, with KarQ admitting that the devs had to adjust her numbers since his playtest, they will actually make playing her more engaging, especially for lower-ranked gamers.

New Sombra is an improvement for low ranked Overwatch players

KarQ went on to explain that Sombra’s playstyle has changed completely, because of how her core abilities have been modified.

“The Translocator is an active ability now. You have to proactively use it to reposition yourself in a fight. So actually, this should be a benefit for lower-ranked Sombras who spent too much time in the old version with downtime. They’d sit in the back, hack a health pack, run around, shoot, for ten percent ult charge, then TP out of the fight,” he said. “Then they’d have to spend another 20 seconds running back looking for another person to annoy.”

KarQ believes that these changes will make Sombra players more active, describing her new style as completely different, but a lot more lethal with the new Virus ability.

“If you’re a passive, teleport out Sombra, you’re not going to like this too much. But if you’re an active Sombra player where you Translocate mid-fight to reposition already, you’ll see a lot of benefits to this playstyle.”

It seems like the new Sombra is going to take some getting used to, so we’ll have to see what the community reaction is once the rework and Season 7 balance updates go live on October 10.

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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