We’re back with another Experimental mode focused on Moira (Patch Notes). We received a lot of feedback during our previous Moira tests, so we’ve been iterating on some new potential changes for Moira. Much like our previous test on July 23, 2020, these changes are not guaranteed to reach the live version of the game.
What are we trying to address?
In our previous Moira experiment, we talked a little about our goals for Moira’s gameplay:
We want Moira to be fun to play.
We want Moira to have the opportunity make big game-impacting plays.
We want Moira’s gameplay to feel skillful and dynamic.
As a hero, Moira is an incredibly reliable pick due to her high healing and damage output. This leads to Moira being perceived as easy to learn and consistent across all skill levels. The team has been testing some updates to her kit to address the goals above.
What are we testing?
This Experimental mode is an iteration on our previous test, with Biotic Grasp, Damage Orb, and Fade undergoing some changes.
Biotic Grasp’s attach angle will still be reduced by 37%, requiring her Secondary Fire ability to require more accuracy.
Rather than being based on proximity, Damage Orb will now deal damage by attaching to enemies. This is accompanied by changes that will require the ability to require more accuracy than the current iteration as well.
Fade will phase out nearby allies as it did in the previous test, but will no longer permit Moira or allies to escape Zarya’s Graviton Surge or Sigma’s Gravitic Flux (this will also apply to Reaper’s Wraith Form). We’ve also removed the previously tested cleansing effects. Given the power of Fade, we’ve also increased the cooldown slightly.
We hope you check out the new Experimental mode and provide us with your feedback! Science will reveal the truth – And all great science requires data! As always, this is an Experiment, so the changes in this test may not reach the live game.
This round of changes is an iteration on the first Moira experiment we tested with in July. With these changes, we’ve tried to reduce to overall power level of this new Fade ability, as it was just capable of doing too much in its last form. Now, it cannot cleanse negative effects or easily allow people to escape Sigma or Zarya ultimates, but is still a powerful tool to reduce significant incoming damage if it is timed well. As for the Damage Orb changes, this is a totally new direction to try and accomplish the same goals as before: change the ability from an easy to use but low impact ability, to a more skillful and higher potential impact ability. Landing a Damage Orb is now much more challenging but the reward is also much higher.
This is the kind of iteration we’re constantly doing internally when making changes or designing new heroes. The Experimental card gives us an interesting opportunity to show how things evolve and are tested over time. Keep in mind that these are purely experiment changes and are not likely to go live.
Biotic Grasp
Attach angle reduced by 37%
Biotic Orb
Damage Orb
Now sticks to enemies when impacting them, instead of piercing through them
Only deals damage if stuck to a target
Deals a constant 60 DPS to all enemies
Will remain on a stuck player for 3 seconds or until 120 damage is dealt to that player, whichever happens first
The Orb is destroyed if it hits an enemy barrier
Reduced max number of bounces to 1
Increased projectile speed from 20 to 25
Fade
Now phases out all allies within 6 meters (and self) for 1 second after exiting Fade
No longer frees Moira or allies from Zarya’s Graviton Surge or Sigma’s Gravitic Flux
Cooldown increased from 6s to 8s
REAPER
Wraith Form
No longer frees Reaper from Zarya’s Graviton Surge or Sigma’s Gravitic Flux
They seem like pretty good changes, even though I really don’t know about the Sticky Orbs and whether or not they’ll just kill all squishy heroes they happen to get randomly attached to, etc.
Sorry but I have the feeling this changes will just make her worse. Not more “fun” nor effective in other regards. The Orb change is bad and so is the healing one. I also dont like that the “shadow forms” of reaper and moira do not provide a escape for ults. All in all I hope that it will stay on experimental mode and then vanish.
you can have it back
