Overwatch 2 6v6 experiment patch notes: All hero changes in the Role Queue Experiment

The Overwatch 2 6v6 Role Queue Experiment patch notes are here, outlining all the many changes Blizzard’s making to its multiplayer game heroes while this event lasts
Activision Blizzard

The Overwatch 2 6v6 Role Queue Experiment patch notes are here, outlining all the many changes Blizzard’s making to its multiplayer game heroes while this event lasts. “Many” is the operative word here for sure, as the 6v6 Role Queue Experiment makes a heap of changes to tanks in particular in a bid to rebalance their kits so they function in the old Overwatch environment. That’s a big task in itself, but especially for heroes such as Junker Queen and Mauga who’ve only existed under Overwatch 2’s 5v5 rules.

Damage dealers get a lighter touch, while support heroes such as Zenyatta are rebalanced in favor of, y’know, support and not MVP-grabbing team wipes. Don’t neglect your tanks, folks. 

Anyway, we’ve listed the Overwatch 2 6v6 experiment patch notes below, so you’re up-to-date on how your favorite hero plays differently during this event.

Overwatch 2 6v6 Role Queue Experiment patch notes  

General changes

• Base health regeneration timer increased from 5 to 7 seconds.

Tank role passive

  • Knockback and critical damage reduction removed.
  • No longer affects health.
  • Now only reduces ultimate charge generated by 25 percent

Damage role passive

  • Healing reduction decreased from 25 percent to 15 percent.
  • No longer has reduced effectiveness for tank heroes.

6v6 Tank changes

D.Va changes

  • Base health increased from 225 to 350.
  • Base armor reduced from 325 to 300.
  • Defense Matrix: Maximum duration reduced from 3 to 2 seconds.
  • Fusion Cannons: Weapon spread increased from 3.375 to 4 degrees, and movement speed penalty increased from 30 percent to 40 percent.
  • Micro Missiles: Cooldown increased from 7 to 8 seconds.
  • Boosters: Cooldown increased from 3.5 to 4 seconds.
Doomfist and D.Va fighting in the streets in Overwatch 2
Doomfist might actually survive now, with tank-like HP / Activision Blizzard

Doomfist changes 

  • Base health increased from 375 to 425.
  • The Best Defense passive: Overhealth gained per target reduced from 40 to 35 HP, and maximum temporary health reduced from 200 to 150 health.
  • Seismic Slam: Cooldown increased from 6.5 to 7.5 seconds.
  • Power Block: Maximum duration reduced from 2.5 to 2 seconds, and cooldown increased from 7 to 8 seconds.

Hazard changes

  • Jagged Wall: Cooldown increased from 12 to 15 seconds, and health increased from 400 to 500.
  • Spike Guard: Duration reduced from 3.5 to 3 seconds, and recharge time increased from 5 to 6 seconds.

Junker Queen changes

  • Base health increased from 375 to 425.
  • Adrenaline Rush: Self-healing from wounds damage scalar reduced from 2.5x to 1.0x.
  • Commanding Shout: Cooldown increased from 12 to 15 seconds.

Mauga changes

  • Base armor reduced from 150 to 100.
  • Base health increased from 425 to 450.
  • Overrun: Cooldown increased from 5 to 7 seconds, and stomp damage reduced from 75 to 60.
  • Cardiac Overdrive: Allied lifesteal reduced from 50 percent to 30 percent, and cooldown increased from 15 to 17 seconds.
  • Cage Fight: Maximum duration reduced from 8 to 7 seconds.

Orisa changes

  • Base armor reduced from 325 to 250.
  • Base health increased from 150 to 250.
  • Fortify: No longer immune to critical damage.
  • Augmented Fusion Driver: Now has damage falloff starting at 25 meters.
  • Energy Javelin: Cooldown increased from 6 to 8 seconds.

Ramattra changes

  • Base health increased from 250 to 375.
  • Nemesis form: Bonus armor reduced from 300 to 200.
  • Void Barrier: Cooldown increased from 13 to 16 seconds.

Reinhardt changes

  • Base health increased from 250 to 325.
  • Base armor reduced from 300 to 225.
  • Now has the Steadfast passive again, reducing knockback by 30%.
  • Charge: Cooldown increased from 7 to 10 seconds, and steering reduced 50 percent.
  • Barrier Field: Health increased from 1500 to 2000.
  • Fire Strike: Ability charges reduced from 2 to 1.
  • Earthshatter: Distance reduced from 25 to 20 meters.

Roadhog changes

  • Base health increased from 600 to 650.
  • Chain Hook: Cooldown increased from 6 to 8 seconds.
  • Pig Pen: Ability removed
  • Take a Breather: Default bind moved from secondary fire to Ability 2, maximum heal reduced from 400 to 325, damage reduction increased from 40 to 50 percent, and cooldown is now 8 seconds.
  • Scrap Gun: Secondary fire air burst projectile added, while primary fire’s 4 large center projectiles removed, and primary fire pellets per shot increased from 16 to 25 projectiles.
  • Damage per pellet increased from 6.25 to 6.5.
  • Critical damage multiplier increased from 1.5 to 2x.
  • Whole Hog: Duration reduced from 8 to 6 seconds.

Sigma changes

  • Base shield health reduced from 275 to 250.
  • Experimental Barrier: Recharge rate increased from 85 to 100 health per second.
  • Accretion: Damage reduced from 120 to 100.

Winston changes

  • Base health increased from 225 to 350.
  • Base armor reduced from 250 to 200.
  • Barrier Projector: Cooldown increased from 12 to 13 seconds.
  • Jump Pack: Cooldown increased from 5 to 6 seconds.
  • Tesla Cannon: No longer ignores armor damage reduction. Secondary fire charge time increased from 0.85 to 1.1 seconds, and secondary fire ammo cost increased from 12 to 25.
  • Primal Rage: Maximum health gain reduced from 700 to 500.

Wrecking Ball changes

  • Base shield health removed.
  • Base health increased from 300 to 500.
  • Base armor reduced from 175 to 150.
  • Adaptive Shields: No longer able to disperse shields to allies, and radius reduced from 13 to 8 meters.
  • Overhealth gained per target reduced from 100 to 75.
  • Pile Driver: Cooldown increased from 8 to 10 seconds.

Zarya changes

  • Base health increased from 175 to 225.
  • Particle Barrier: No longer shares a cooldown with Projected Barrier. Health reduced from 225 to 200, duration reduced from 2.25 to 2 seconds, and cooldown reduced from 11 to 10 seconds.
  • Projected Barrier: Health reduced from 225 to 200, duration reduced from 2.25 to 2 seconds, and cooldown reduced from 9 to 8 seconds.
Overwatch 2 promo graphic with Junker Queen facing off against Winston and Moira
Junker Queen in 6v6 should be interesting / Activision Blizzard

6v6 Damage changes

The damage crowd gets a rather less involved set of tweaks, which is understandable given how much less of a chance they have to break the game entirely.

Ashe changes

  • BOB health increased from 1000 to 1200.

Cassidy changes

  • Peacekeeper: Fan the hammer secondary fire damage increased from 45 to 50.

Echo changes

  • Duplicate: No longer has a max health for copied target.
  • Focusing Beam: Damage multiplier for low health targets increased from 3.5 to 4x (200 DPS).

Hanzo changes

  • Storm Bow: Time to fully charge each shot reduced from 0.8 to 0.72 seconds.

Mei changes

  • Ice Wall: Health increased from 250 to 300.

Soldier: 76 changes

  • Heavy Pulse Rifle: Damage increased from 19 to 20.

Torbjorn changes 

  • Deploy Turret: Damage increased from 13 to 15.

Tracer changes

Pulse Pistols: Falloff range increased from 10 to 12 meters.

Widowmaker changes

  • Base health increased from 200 to 225.
Juno from Overwatch 2
Healers can heal better, for a little while anyway / Activision Blizzard

6v6 Support changes

This iteration of Overwatch 2’s support heroes is a bit less deadly and a bit more heal-y. Except IllariThe Overwatch 2 6v6 Role Queue Experiment patch notes are here, outlining all the many changes Blizzard’s making to its multiplayer game heroes while this event lasts

. She hits harder now.

Ana changes

  • Biotic Rifle: Maximum ammo reduced from 15 to 12.
  • Sleep Dart: No longer has reduced duration versus Tank heroes, and cooldown reduced from 14 to 12 seconds.
  • Biotic Grenade: Cooldown reduced from 12 to 10 seconds.

Baptiste changes

  • Regenerative Burst: No longer heals twice as much for allies under 50% max health.Instant heal increased from 40 to 50, and healing over time increased from 40 to 100 over 5 seconds.
  • Immortality Field: Health increased from 125 to 150

Illari changes

  • Solar Rifle: Max damage increased from 70 to 75, and min damage increased from 20 to 25.
  • Healing Pylon: Cooldown reduced from 14 to 12 seconds.

Juno changes

  • Hyper Ring: Maximum duration reduced from 6 to 4.5 seconds.
  • Orbital Ray: Maximum duration reduced from 10 to 8 seconds.
  • Pulsar Torpedoes: Cooldown increased from 10 to 12 seconds.

Kiriko changes

Healing Ofuda: Recovery time reduced from 0.9 to 0.8 seconds, and healing per projectile increased from 13 to 14.

Lifeweaver changes

  • Tree of Life: Maximum duration reduced from 15 to 12 seconds, and maximum health increased from 1200 to 1400.
  • Platform: Cooldown increased from 12 to 15 seconds.
  • Healing Blossom: Maximum heal increased from 80 to 90.

Zenyatta changes

  • Destruction Orb: Ammo reduced from 25 to 20.
  • Harmony Orb: Time to wear off when not in line of sight reduced from 5 to 3 seconds.
  • Orb of Discord: No longer has a cooldown per target, and time to fall off target when not in line of sight increased from 1.5 to 3 seconds.
  • Snap Kick passive: Knockback reduced 20 percent, and no longer increases quick melee damage.

Overwatch 2’s Role Queue Experiment is live now and runs through Jan 6, 2025. These balance changes apply only to that mode in unranked matches, so outside of that and once the event ends, heroes will behave the same as they did before it started.


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Josh Broadwell
JOSH BROADWELL

Josh is a freelance writer and reporter who specializes in guides, reviews, and whatever else he can convince someone to commission. You may have seen him on NPR, IGN, Polygon, or Rolling Stone shouting about RPGs. When he isn’t working, you’ll likely find him outside with his Belgian Malinois and Australian Shepherd or leveling yet another job in FFXIV.