The upcoming Overwatch 2 Season 5 update will be making some changes to Damage heroes Mei and Cassidy. Overwatch 2 is finally wrapping up Season 4, which introduced new Support hero Lifeweaver. Season 5 of the free-to-play shooter won't be adding a new hero to the mix, but it will be making some changes to existing heroes in the game.
Some of the most noteworthy changes coming to heroes in Overwatch 2 Season 5 is the upcoming Junker Queen nerfs and the Lifeweaver buffs. Widowmaker and Hanzo are also getting nerfed so those playing Overwatch 2 in Season 5 shouldn't expect to get one-shot killed nearly as much as in previous seasons of the game. Along with these character changes, Blizzard is also making changes to Mei and Cassidy when the Season 5 update arrives on Tuesday, June 13.
Come Season 5, Mei's Endothermic Blaster will apply an effect that inflicts "a much larger slow" for 1.5 seconds. Blizzard said this will be more in line with how Mei's weapon worked in the original Overwatch, though it doesn't sound like Mei will be able to completely freeze enemies like before. In the meantime, Cassidy's Magnetic Grenade is getting shaken up so that it will deal less damage, but in exchange will slow enemies and block movement abilities. The goal is to make Mei and Cassidy more crowd control-style characters, something Blizzard moved away from in the transition from the original Overwatch's 6v6 to Overwatch 2's 5v5 setup.
Like with any big changes, time will tell how the Overwatch 2 community reacts to the Mei and Cassidy tweaks. Some might feel like these changes will make Mei overpowered, while others may not be happy with the damage being reduced on Cassidy's grenade. Overwatch 2 is a constantly evolving experience, so Blizzard will almost certainly adjust these characters further based on fan feedback. If most fans seem to enjoy the changes, then Mei and Cassidy will likely stay the same.
Besides character balance changes, Overwatch 2 Season 5 will also be adding new skins for players to unlock through the Battle Pass. Some of the new Overwatch 2 Season 5 skins have been turning heads, like the mythic Tracer skin and Demon Lord Reinhardt. The skins all fit the fantasy theme that the new season is shooting for, and it will be interesting to see what else Blizzard cooks up.
In the meantime, fans can also look forward to the Overwatch 2 debut of Summer Games in Season 5, the annual summertime event that usually sees the return of Lucioball, summertime cosmetics, and more.
Overwatch 2 is out now in early access for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.