Overwatchplayers can see possible future changes to characters first-hand via the Experimental mode available in-game, which allows the developers to gauge players' reactions to upcoming changes, and see how those changes play out before release.
In a recentOverwatchupdate, three characters have been changed in the Experimental mode. These heroes are Baptiste, D.Va, and Reinhardt, with Baptiste getting nerfed and the aforementioned tank heroes getting buffed.
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Whether or not these changes will go forward to the main game is entirely based on how these changes perform in the Experimental mode. Other changes made in the mode, such asMoira’s reworks, have been pulled back before, so these are not set in stone as of yet.
WithReinhardt, his base armor has been increased from 200 to 250. In addition, the damage resulting from a swing with his Rocket Hammer has been increased from 75 to 85. According to the developer’s comments, this is to increase Reinhardt’s presence on the frontlines of battle. Additionally, the increase in damage from the Rocket Hammer will require fewer swings from Reinhardt to eliminate certain heroes, especially squishier DPS enemies.
In the case ofD.Va, none of her attacks' damage has been altered, but her Armor and Health distribution has been changed from 200/400 to 300/300. This change is meant to let D.Va last longer against weapons with high fire rates, such as shotguns and beams.
Baptiste, meanwhile, was nerfed due to the changes that happened after his recent buff in the main game. In order to balance things better,Baptiste’s immortality fieldhas had its health decreased from 200 to 150, allowing enemy players a bit of an easier time taking it down. Additionally, the ultimate cost for Baptiste’s Amplification Matrix was increased by 15%. This was due to the increased size of the matrix that recently went live in the main game.
These changes are likely to be well-received byOverwatch’s tank players, especially those who main D.Va or Reinhardt. Support players, however, may not be fond of these sudden changes to Baptiste due to how close it is following up on this support hero’s buff. If these changes are brought into the main game, it is unknown at what time or date it will go live at this point. However, Players are free to enter the Experimental mode to feel out these new changes for themselves, helping them adjust to the changes early on if they make it into the game.
The full patch notes are:
EXPERIMENTAL MODE
Overwatchis available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and the Nintendo Switch.
