If you’ve dived into the competitive pool of Overwatch 2 this season, you might have noticed a few familiar faces missing from the roster. Yep, Blizzard’s new hero ban feature has stirred the pot, and it seems like some heroes are just not making the cut – at least not for now.
So, who’s getting the boot? According to Blizzard’s latest scoop, the notorious trio of Sombra, Zarya, and Symmetra, along with the likes of Ana and Mercy, are facing the ban hammer more often than not. In fact, Blizzard crunched the numbers and found that Sombra is the queen of the ban list, boasting a jaw-dropping 85% ban rate on PC! Over on consoles, she’s practically untouchable with a staggering 93% ban rate. Zarya trails behind at 59% on PC and 57% on consoles, while Doomfist is hanging in there with a 43% ban rate. Symmetra? Well, she’s got a 23% rate, which isn’t great, but it’s better than nothing!
Gavin Winter, one of Blizzard’s senior systems designers, mentioned that this data isn’t just for show. They’re taking it seriously and using it to help shape future balance changes in Overwatch 2. “We need to keep an eye on heroes that are always getting banned,” he said. “If they’re consistently sidelined in competitive play, it might be time for a tweak.” Essentially, if a hero is too niche and always getting the boot, they might need a rework to make them more viable. But don’t get too excited just yet; there aren’t any specific changes lined up based on this data alone.
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: what does this mean for our beloved heroes like Zarya and Symmetra? If Sombra is practically banned from most competitive matches, it raises a big question. Why invest time and effort into mastering a hero you can hardly play? That’s a tough pill to swallow!
Despite a few hiccups in the hero ban mechanics, Blizzard seems pretty pleased with how the system is functioning overall. Winter expressed optimism, stating, “We believe the system is meeting most of its goals, and we’re looking forward to seeing how Hero Bans evolve, especially once we start rolling out more detailed data on hero win rates and pick rates in the future!”
But hold your horses, because there’s more exciting news on the horizon! Season 17 is set to launch in late June, and with it comes a shiny new map-voting feature that promises to give players even more control over their match experiences. So, gear up, Overwatch players! The battlefield is about to get even more dynamic, and who knows? Maybe some of those banned heroes will find their way back into the limelight soon!
Stay tuned for more updates, and happy gaming!
Share this:
