I think that Resurrect should just be removed altogether. Here’s a video discussing an idea for a new ability that could replace Resurrect (by YouTuber Blame The Controller).
If you don’t want to watch the video, here’s the ability concept:
Miracle Worker
Type: Single target buff
Range: 30 meters (same as that of Guardian Angel)
Duration: 3 seconds (1 second longer than Zarya’s Projected Barrier) or until lethal damage is taken
Cooldown: 15 seconds (5 seconds longer than Zarya’s Projected Barrier)
Effect 1: Buff duration expires, and the target is healed for 100 HP.
Effect 2: Prevent death when target takes damage that would normally kill them and sets the target’s health to 50 HP.
Mercy places a spell on a targeted ally. This buff will trigger an effect after 3 seconds or when the target takes lethal damage.
If the buff expires with no lethal damage taken, the target is healed for 100 HP.
If the target takes lethal damage, death is prevented, and the target’s HP is set to 50 HP.
This is an ability that could save someone from death, regardless of the amount of damage taken, just like Zarya’s Projected Barrier. However, Mercy wouldn’t directly benefit from this like Zarya does, the cooldown would be longer, and the buff would also last a little longer as well. The target would also be healed.
If the target takes damage that would normally kill them, they don’t die and is instead immediately healed for 50 HP. If they don’t take any damage that would kill them during the three-second period, they are instead immediately healed for 50 HP.
Due to the long cooldown, Mercy players would have to prioritize when to use this ability, even more than Zarya players and Projected Barrier. She couldn’t just use it willy-nilly. If a target is saved from death, they are healed, but the amount that they are healed for is so low that they would need to be healed by Mercy or another healer afterwards; otherwise, they’d likely die right after the buff is over if the enemy is focusing them.
The reason I agree with this idea is that Resurrect is impossible to balance. It is the only ability in the entire game that affects dead players. This Miracle Worker ability would affect players in the battlefield. It would prevent someone’s death (or just heal them), rather than undoing their death.
If you think that this would be overpowered, don’t forget that Zarya has a similar ability that can save anyone from any amount of damage, even if it surpasses the health of Zarya’s Projected Barrier.
Here’s another long-winded post where I explained why Mercy is in a really bad state right now.