Summary
- Overwatch 2 is considering reducing the healing penalty for Tanks affected by the DPS passive ability.
- Tanks may see a lesser impact from the DPS passive.
- The upcoming Season 10 could bring changes to the DPS passive, benefiting Tanks like Wrecking Ball in Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2 is considering changing how the DPS passive works for Tanks in the future. While it seems satisfied with the new healing penalty in general, Overwatch 2 may eventually make it less severe on Tanks to ensure they can fulfill their roles more easily.
At the start of Season 9, Overwatch 2 introduced a new passive ability for all DPS heroes that reduces the healing received by targets they damage by 20% for a few seconds after they hit them. In the subsequent midseason patch, Overwatch 2 reduced the healing reduction to 15% to make it a little less punishing.
However, Overwatch 2 might be considering dialing back this passive even further, but only for Tanks. During a recent interview with Overwatch 2 content creator Flats, game director Aaron Keller revealed he and the other developers were considering changing the effects of the DPS passive on Tank heroes. “We try to keep things simple,” Keller said, “but maybe there has to be some sort of difference in that DPS passive for Tanks and for other characters.” While this is not hard confirmation, fans shouldn’t be surprised if this new ability is further changed in the future.
OW2 May Reduce the DPS Passive Effect on Tanks
While players can’t be sure how Tanks in Overwatch 2 will interact with the DPS passive in the future, it seems likely the passive could affect them less severely than other heroes. They might get only a 10% healing reduction, or the duration of the effect might be shorter on these heroes. This change is not set in stone yet, but given Keller’s remark, fans can probably expect something to be done about the ability later on.
“We try to keep things simple, but maybe there has to be some sort of difference in that DPS passive for Tanks and for other characters.”
Tanks are in a precarious place in Overwatch 2 right now. Removing the second Tank position on the team in the sequel meant players in this role had to work twice as hard – a fact some Overwatch 2 heroes like Reinhardt have struggled with at times. The new DPS passive has only exacerbated this problem by making it harder for Supports to keep their Tanks alive, so hopefully, Overwatch 2 can help these cornerstone heroes soon.
If this potential change happens, it could take place sometime in Season 10. The upcoming season is introducing Venture, the first new DPS hero added to the game since the sequel’s launch. Additionally, Overwatch 2 Season 10 introduces a rework for Wrecking Ball – one of the Tank heroes who suffered the most from the loss of their co-Tank spot. A change to the DPS passive on top of this rework could give the hero the edge he needs to be a competitive pick in Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2
- Released
- August 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
