Summary
- Sombra's Stealth ability in Overwatch 2 was not removed but has a 999-second cooldown.
- Players can still experience Sombra's Stealth in Custom game modes by setting Ability Cooldown to 0%.
- Overwatch 2 likely increased the cooldown to simplify programming, not eliminate the ability completely.
Some Overwatch 2 fans have discovered that Sombra’s Stealth passive was not technically removed from the hero – rather, the ability simply had its cooldown increased so high that players would never normally be able to see it. Though Overwatch 2 essentially removed Sombra’s passive Stealth in a practical sense, fans can still see the old ability in certain Custom game modes.
In Season 13, Overwatch 2 gave Sombra a significant rework that affected nearly all of her abilities. The resident hacker of the FPS got her Opportunist passive back, but at the cost of nerfs to her Hack, EMP, and Translocator. Most notably, her Stealth passive was removed, with Translocator now cloaking her for five seconds after teleporting, rather than automatically and permanently turning invisible while out of combat for a few seconds.
Overwatch 2: How to Get Jester Sombra Bundle For Free (Twitch Drops)
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However, some Overwatch 2 players have discovered that Sombra’s Stealth passive is still technically in the game. According to Overwatch 2 fan Dulcetbunnie, Sombra’s passive Stealth actually had its cooldown increased to 999 seconds, or about 16 minutes, but was not actually removed from the hero. This means players who stay out of combat for the better part of a half hour – or who set ability cooldown time to 0% in a Skirmish or Custom Game, as NixLupus31 did – will still see Sombra enter Stealth exactly how she used to before Season 13.
Sombra’s Stealth Passive is Still Around in Overwatch 2
Of course, 16 minutes is an impossible amount of time to wait in an Overwatch 2 match. Many game modes have timers that rarely exceed 10 minutes, and those that don’t contain highly-contested objectives, so a player who wanted to enter Stealth in this manner would probably need to count on their four other Overwatch 2 teammates to keep an outnumbered Overtime going for several minutes in order to Stealth even once. For all intents and purposes, Sombra’s passive Stealth doesn’t exist in normal Overwatch 2 games.
Overwatch 2 probably “removed” Sombra’s Stealth passive in this way because it was easier from a programming standpoint. Simply increasing its cooldown to its maximum value meant the developers didn’t need to actually get rid of the ability, which could have required a lot more work or caused glitches in Overwatch 2. Additionally, if Overwatch 2 reverts these changes in the future, giving Sombra her passive Stealth back will simply be a matter of reducing the cooldown again.
Unfortunately, Sombra’s new rework in Overwatch 2 has not been a popular one among her fans. Many have lamented the fact that Sombra’s role has shifted from being a flanker to a frontline pressure DPS, and believe her unique identity as a damage hero has been erased. Only time will tell if Overwatch 2 will implement other changes to Sombra, or reversions to her rework, in future updates.
Overwatch 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
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.
