Why do people think tanks are getting buffed? 5v5

[ChiefWamBam-1978]

Tanks will still be able to take much more damage than other characters and use their damage to create space. The simple act of taking damage is not enough to make space after all, it’s why Mei makes a poor tank.

[GreyFalcon-11737]

@AndyB-11735

Speaking as someone who plays retail comp nightly, and playtests 2 almost daily, it’s difficult to envision what the experience is actually like until you’ve been in the environment and played several matches.

Good to hear there’s a PVP build good enough for daily playtesting .

Genuinely curious what they are going to do with Wrecking Ball.

He’s a huge question mark in my thought process for OW2 balance.

Like is it possible for him to not be too crazy dominant at high tier, without being a near automatic defeat for the bottom 95% of players.

Anyways, here’s my guesses at where OW2 balance is going.
[OW2] Balance Design Blueprint

[Knighthood-21706]

@AndyB-11735

I do understand that some of us have very strong feelings about changing to a single tank, and it’s going to take more than a response like this to fully convince you that this is a net positive change.

It will be pretty hard to make it a “net positive change” for the Tank duos that can’t play together anymore

[FranckyFox24-1586]

@Knighthood-21706

It will be pretty hard to make it a “net positive change” for the Tank duos that can’t play together anymore

quickplay classic? open queue? Assuming these are still around.

[Knighthood-21706]

I’d rather never play Overwatch again, than going back to Open Queue

If they keep 2/2/2 Role Q in Comp and QP modes available that would work out for me though.

[inima-21622]

@AndyB-11735

In Overwatch 2, there is a maximum of one shield Tank per team

Thats so good …Always wanted that ever since origma thing.
Also, guys, damage will be adjusted accordingly. Tanks will survive even better because of 2x healers focusing on only one tank + dps damage adjustments.

[Gulthrazda-1894]

@AndyB-11735

Tanks in Overwatch 2 remain both disruptive line breakers and push-leading protectors.

So the same problems and dislike for the role will continue but now alone! Woo!

@AndyB-11735

Changing from two Tanks to one creates a new dynamic, where each player (including Damage and Supports) needs to be more careful about the way they position themselves.

Ah yes, OW players are great at this. The same players who clamor for 2-2-2 because the game was unplayble when a team didn’t have tanks and supports.

[Baja-11423]

@AndyB-11735

Speaking as someone who plays retail comp nightly, and playtests 2 almost daily, it’s difficult to envision what the experience is actually like until you’ve been in the environment and played several matches

pretty much been saying this since like the get go…everyone is a so called 5v5 expert even though nobody has actually tried it yet…

[Knighthood-21706]

@Gulthrazda-1894

@AndyB-11735

Tanks in Overwatch 2 remain both disruptive line breakers and push-leading protectors.

So the same problems and dislike for the role will continue but now alone! Woo!

I can’t wait to get blamed for not being able to fulfill Main and Off-Tank duties at the very same moment

[Julia-24622]

@AndyB-11735

Double Barrier team comps is another area directly impacted by this change. In Overwatch 2, there is a maximum of one shield Tank per team, which leads to changes in how we tune and adjust the total “uptime” for these barriers. This comes in the form of lowering their health, increasing their cooldowns, or lowering their durations. We want barriers to feel impactful, albeit less oppressive, across the game.

Uh?

Lowered health on the barriers?

They’re already too low. They get deleted as soon you put them up if the opponent’s team doesn’t consist of people who think they can’t destroy them and instead just blasts them full-on. Even with 2 barriers on the team.

[Sylhiri-1495]

@AndyB-11735

Changing from two Tanks to one creates a new dynamic, where each player (including Damage and Supports) needs to be more careful about the way they position themselves. Flanking potentially becomes more potent as a strategy, and because teams aren’t relying on holding “the high ground” due to the defensive capabilities of multiple Tanks, maps are being used to their fullest (which has resulted in some fun playtests).
…

Tanks rooted in mobility, such as D.Va, Wrecking Ball, and Winston will see their utility improved, gaining additional defensive stopping power, and in some cases more freedom to flex between having an offensive impact and being a defensive bulwark for their team.

Sounds like you guys haven’t started looking at snipers and hypermobility yet.

[Arcadius-11555]

@AndyB-11735

Tanks with overwhelming team defensive capabilities (like Reinhardt) will have their group protections reduced

Good lord, do not nerf Sigma and Orisa in a single tank comp…

[ƕlĸ-2818]

@AndyB-11735

This has been a recurring theme in conversation since the PvP Livestream; Tank players want to understand their role in a new 5v5 world. I talked to the Hero Design and Balance team about this thread, and have summed up some thoughts below:

This is so interesting stuff, thanks for this. So are they being buffed? Or just changed to be more brAWLY? My main concern is open que and if that will still be a thing

I observed something quite interesting from reading all of that blue text. Now my eyes adjusted to that colour and the colour temperature of the normal white text looks much warmer now

[Goodgame-11119]

@AndyB-11735

I talked to the Hero Design and Balance team about this thread

Do they have any thoughts on how these changes will impact queue times??? If it doesn’t help the game is doomed out the door.

[Zephrin-11143]

@AndyB-11735

Support is better able to maintain their front line, creating a scenario where healing is more focused since it’s not split trying to keep multiple tanks alive.

my concern regarding supports is that there seems to be a elephant in the room that’s not being addressed seemingly:

with reduction of cc all round and evidently a mobility creep with tanks to make them more aggro + the announced mobility creep with dps, there seems to be less and less capability to deal with flankers and hypermobility.

esp with this direction for tanks leading to more likely much more spread out comps, it seems heroes overall need to be more self reliant when it comes to peeling, but will there be anything left, esp for supports, to reasonably fend for themselves?

[Hige-1101]

Thank you for shedding some light on it but as you mentioned, I can’t really just take your word for it, the 5v5 idea is and will be a really bad one and don’t get me wrong I see the whys but at the same time I can’t bring myself to like it, tank synergies are flying out of the window and the game is becoming even more quick paced which is ridiculous

there is no way in hell that this is a positive net change, it seems more like a positive mirage idea that will be shot in the foot soon after it releases, please tell them to reconsider this one more time

[Shimada-12277]

@AndyB-11735

Flanking potentially becomes more potent as a strategy

Genji mains be rubbing their hands.

[Ornery-11199]

Not to come off as snarky, but I think this is the most informative and useful Blizz post I’ve ever read. Very much appreciated… just this post alone opened me up more to these changes.

Also: after reading the section on shields, I couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of game OW would be had Reinhardt never had a shield. Don’t get me wrong, it makes sense for a knight character to have a shield… but what if… he just, didnt? lol

I think that would’ve taken a lot of pressure off of the dev team as there would’ve been less players asking for more shield options and feeling like shields need to be a part of the game and instead just “hey keep releasing unique heroes!” which I think they’re very good at doing.

[Sylhiri-1495]

@Zephrin-11143

esp with this direction for tanks leading to more likely much more spread out comps, it seems heroes overall need to be more self reliant when it comes to peeling, but will there be anything left, esp for supports, to reasonably fend for themselves?

I’m sure this in combat issue is solved with out of combat self healing. Huehuehue

[Devils-1895]

@Zephrin-11143

@AndyB-11735

Support is better able to maintain their front line, creating a scenario where healing is more focused since it’s not split trying to keep multiple tanks alive.

my concern regarding supports is that there seems to be a elephant in the room that’s not being addressed seemingly:

with reduction of cc all round and evidently a mobility creep with tanks to make them more aggro + the announced mobility creep with dps, there seems to be less and less capability to deal with flankers and hypermobility.

esp with this direction for tanks leading to more likely much more spread out comps, it seems heroes overall need to be more self reliant when it comes to peeling, but will there be anything left, esp for supports, to reasonably fend for themselves?

I mean the advantage compared to live is a fairly drastic reduction in damage to worry about with the subtraction of one player.

The thing about being a Support is that you are supposed to be able to do your job but not be so good at it that death never happens. It is a delicate line to walk because if no one dies the game is boring but if death is constant then you do not matter.