After testing in PTR and avoiding the boards of sake of sanity, and now in Live, I maintain that her primary fire with piercing is, at best, grossly unbalanced, and at worst, indicative of lacking remote forethought. Perhaps my perspective is subject?
There are myriad examples of how much value Mei can create by being at the ambiguously right place at the relatively right time, (for example) requiring even less effort to freeze multiple enemies than Mercy to keep teammates healed (Mercymain here, not an insult at all, there is far more strategy unspoken), excepting Mercy requires a now shortened duration Ultimate to heal multiple teammates, where as Mei holds down the left mouse click.
Moira has a powerful piercing heal, granted, and I maintain issue with balancing or her lack thereof in some aspects, but at least she cannot blast heals continuously with a reloaded stream on command, as it must refill separately or be recharged with secondary fire. Mei can reload and spray all day.
Zarya must build her Ultimate, and have a single shot with ephemeral opportunity created for teammates to act upon. Mei holds her primary fire with a couple or more people standing near one another.
Reinhardt must position his Ultimate to create the most value with stun before it just as quickly dissipates. Mei holds her primary fire.
Brigitte can handily stun enemies, creating openings and/or saving teammates, which is on a CD and must accounted for in melee. Mei sneezes whilst holding primary fire and freezing a group of enemies.
The list goes on, with ever more passive aggressively toned scenarios. Prior to the piercing aspect, Meiās presence in the game (outside of lore and cutscenes, which I adore, as well her field of profession) diminishes from game play quality.
Now she pierces, with further justification that a few or so āfaster charactersā had a better chance of escaping her snaring primary fire? Considering her kit, does that seem rational, or fair, in the larger picture of balance?
Tracer is a good example I think to consider in similar comparison, as well Widowmaker. A time invested skilled player with either character can dominate a match, or at least flip and hold a losing push, etc. They require much coordination internally and externally to operate at such levels. Tweaking them is very trepidatious, with easily unforeseen consequences, so it ought be processed carefully.
Mei now holds primary fire and freezes multiple people relatively close to one another or in a line of sight, other teammates can easily seize upon the opportunity.
The net prognosis seems to suggest that people ought to adapt to spreading out when they realize the enemy has a Mei, which seems fair enough by itself as a one to one causal chain.
One of the main issues, utter repugnance of the tool kit aside, is the relative lack of coordination required to manage these scenarios of multiple enemies frozen - itās just holding down primary fire with positioning, and seems, generously described, unhealthily problematic for the long term enjoyment of gameplay (Iām not everyone, that is unspoken, but Iām not alone in concern).
Any thoughts, suggestions, perhaps I am entirely mistaken or out of touch in some regard?
Cheers