The Overwatch 2 development team revealed the main reworks for Orisa and Doomfist, who has moved from the DPS role to tank, on Wednesday.
Doomfist’s change is more significant, as it’s only the second time an Overwatch hero has changed roles. Becoming a tank will make him more defensively oriented, while Orisa received boosts to her offensive output. The official Overwatch Twitter account released pictures including the new abilities along with a more descriptive blog post.
Orisa online.
All new weapon and ability kit for Orisa coming to #Overwatch2.
Dive deeper into Doomfist and Orisa reworks in our latest blog.https://t.co/lFyJVeYP77 pic.twitter.com/9eG4kplA2m
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) April 20, 2022
Orisa on the offense
Orisa’s previous kit from the original Overwatch was a staple of defensive play due to her slow nature, deployable shield and an ability that made her very hard to kill. Now, the changes for Overwatch 2 are making Orisa a more flexible tank, according to the development team.
“Orisa’s rework will adapt her playstyle to 5v5 and give her more tools to engage in team fights,” Blizzard’s blog post explained.
To compensate for her diminished defensive focus, Orisa will receive increased health and armor, plus new primary fire mechanics. Instead of a machine gun, Orisa’s Augmented Fusion Driver overheats if used too much and requires three seconds to cool off. Plus, instead of it doing the same damage no matter how far away Orisa is, the weapon does increased damage to close enemies.
In terms of new abilities, Energy Javelin replaces Halt. Instead of pulling enemies together, this skill shot stuns and knocks back those it hits. The stun also lasts longer if the target is knocked back into a wall. Fortify remains relatively similar, though it gives Orisa more HP while reducing the rate at which her new primary fire overheats.
Two of the biggest changes for Orisa’s rework revolve around the removal of her shield and a new ultimate ability. Instead of the shield, a new ability named Javelin Surge gives her more offensive capabilities. When using it, Orisa pulls out her javelin and spins it in front of her to destroy projectiles. The ability also increases her movement speed, does damage and knocks back enemies in her way.
As for her new ultimate, Terra Surge pulls enemies towards Orisa in a fashion similar to her old Halt ability. At the same time, she charges up an area-of-effect attack on nearby enemies. According to the blog, enemies aren’t bound to the center of Orisa’s pull like a Zarya Graviton Surge, so players will need to collaborate quickly to make the most of this ultimate.
Doomfist goes from all offence DPS to adaptive tank
In contrast to Orisa, Doomfist was arguably the most offensive hero in the game. Yet, with Overwatch 2’s focus on removing stuns from DPS and putting them on the tanks, the development team decided to shift him over into the tank role. This forced many key changes to Doomfist’s kit, starting with a base health increase from 250 to 450. His primary fire is essentially the same as in the original Overwatch with an increased ammo recovery balanced against lower damage.
His classic Rocket Punch ability remains the same, as well, with damage going down as the charge rate goes up. His ultimate, Meteor Strike is also not changing much, though it will apply a slow to enemies and it has a faster activation time. Last but not least for similar abilities, Seismic Slam now works similarly to Winston’s jump ability with a slow tacked onto it.
As a result of this change, Doomfist’s Uppercut ability has been removed. In its place is Power Block, a shield-like ability that only applies to Doomfist. When activated, he will take 90% less damage to attacks in front of him, powering his gauntlet up. When fully charged from blocking enough damage, his next Rocket Punch will empower his knockback, damage and even the ability’s maximum distance.
The internet reacts to the changes
When Blizzard first revealed these changes on line, fans and members of the competitive community weighed in.
Orisa ❌
Battle cattle ✅— NY Excelsior (@NYExcelsior) April 20, 2022
The New York Excelsior were quick to signal how they may play Orisa once the Overwatch League starts back up again.
The Orisa rework to me is the most exciting kit revamp in OW2 currently.
I really like what they're trying to do with Orisa's role on a team moving forward and the removal of her reliance on shield to a more brawl/aim focused style. https://t.co/EvOhUU7YVd
— Avast (@Avast_o) April 20, 2022
Former player and caster Connor “Avast” Prince quote tweeted the reveal, positive on the new, brawl-focused changes for Orisa.
holy shit Doomfist gonna be sick pic.twitter.com/m7jWSffvpm
— Philip Graham (@ChipSa_OW) April 20, 2022
For Doomfist responses, who else but the former Overwatch League player and avid Doomfist streamer Philip “ChipSa” Graham. He reacted positively to the changes, posting a picture of the new Power Block ability.
Players can get their hands on these newly changed heroes once the beta begins on April 26.
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