Overwatch’s Dec. 10 live patch is bringing both good and bad news. The bad news is that the game’s highly anticipated Winter Wonderland event is nowhere to be found in this update, even though the event has historically never started later than Dec. 12. While fans are missing some holiday cheer this week, powerful hero balance updates should make up for it.
For months, Reinhardt has been one of the game’s least effective tanks, taking damage from every angle while overshadowed by utility tanks like Sigma and Wrecking Ball. In the Dec. 10 update, changes from the Experimental Card that give Reinhardt more power have gone through to the live servers. It may finally be time for Reinhardt to make his way back into the meta.
Support hero Baptise and off-tank D.Va also received changes in this live patch. All changes were tested in the Experimental Card last week and will be heading to the live servers unaltered.
This is also the last hero balance patch of 2020, according to community manager John Nash. The Winter Wonderland event and a Public Test Realm (PTR) update will still happen this month, but regular hero updates will pick up again in January 2021.
Hero changes
Reinhardt
- Base Armor increased from 200 to 250.
- Rocket Hammer damage increased from 75 to 85.
With a sizable increase to armor, Reinhardt is now more capable of withstanding damage when he charges into battle. “The intent of these changes is to slightly bolster Reinhardt’s frontline presence once he closes the distance with an enemy,” the developers said.
In addition to a tougher outer layer, Reinhardt gets a minor buff to his primary ability, Rocket Hammer. It will now take fewer swings to eliminate low-health enemies, making Reinhardt a bit more deadly in the frontline.
D.Va
- Mech Armor and Health has been redistributed, from 200 armor and 400 health to 300 armor and 300 health.
Unlike Reinhardt, who’s still seen playing time at the highest levels of competition, D.Va has been pushed aside for speedier, stronger tanks. These changes to her Mech’s armor will “enable it to withstand more damage from shotguns, beams, and weapons with a high rate of fire,” according to the developers. This minor armor increase could allow D.Va to compete with the damage-absorbing abilities of heroes like Sigma and Wrecking Ball.
Baptiste
- Immortality Field health decreased from 200 to 150.
- Amplification Matrix ultimate cost increased by 15 percent.
As tanks rise up, some supports need to be taken down. Baptiste has become a must-pick hero in many situations over the past few weeks and the developers are trying to bring him back down to scale. Baptiste’s Amplification Matrix ability will now take longer to charge after this update.
His most powerful ability, Immortality Field, has lost 50 health. While this seems minor, enemies will now be able to destroy the hovering field at a faster rate. This could mean the difference between life and death for Baptiste’s allies.
The Dec. 10 Overwatch update is now active on all platforms and will affect all modes of play, including arcade, quick play, and competitive mode.
