Overwatch 2 tank players’ calls for Zenyatta nerf may have backfired with mid-cycle patch

He certainly got nerfed, but it might not feel that way for tank players.

Zenyatta channels his orbs while wearing his Astronomer skin that can be earned in the season five battle pass.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Zenyatta has been the bane of many tank players in Overwatch 2 over the past few months, but the promise of a mid-cycle nerf to Orb of Discord brought a moment of hope for tanks that are tired of getting torn apart by the ability’s damage received debuff.

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Unfortunately for tanks, the nerfs to Zenyatta’s flagship ability on July 11 may have some unintended consequences. With a reduction to the maximum range of Orb of Discord, Zenyatta players have quickly noticed that they can no longer slap the debuff on DPS players that are off in the distance.

Related: Here are the Overwatch 2 season 5 mid-cycle patch notes

In a reddit discussion this week, players noted that Zenyatta players will likely just throw their Orb of Discord on tanks without even trying to find an alternative target.

Zenyatta’s Orb of Discord nerfs included: 

  • Maximum range reduction to 30 meters, down from 40.
  • Orb wears off of targets after 1.5 seconds while not in line-of-sight, down from two seconds.

With the changes to the range of the ability, players noted that Zenyatta players can no longer easily apply the debuff to long-range DPS, like Widowmaker or Ashe, as they had before. Additionally, flying heroes like Pharah can out-range the ability more regularly.

Related: Zenyatta’s Orb of Discord just got nerfed in Overwatch 2, but it’s not as bad as you think

Instead, some players complained that tanks will likely be one of the only, if not the only, enemy hero that is regularly close enough to get hit with an Orb of Discord. With no change to the potency of the debuff itself, it appears as though tanks will continue to get shredded by Orb of Discord, making it so that the omnic monk is still their worst nightmare.

Author
Image of Max Miceli
Max Miceli
Senior Staff Writer. Max graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a journalism and political science degree in 2015. He previously worked for The Esports Observer covering the streaming industry before joining Dot where he now helps with Overwatch 2 coverage.