Overwatch’s Doomfist and Orisa both got a major makeover in Overwatch 2.
While all 32 of the original Overwatch characters will return for the sequel, Blizzard announced in a blog post two further reworks (adding Bastion and Sombra), revealing that Doomfist even made character changes.
He’ll transform from a damage hero to a tank, losing his uppercut ability in the process. Instead, Doomfist is now equipped with Energy Block, a shield ability that protects from frontal attacks, and his health has been increased from 250 to 450.
Overwatch’s Doomfist has received a major overhaul for the sequel (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
Blocking critical wounds with a shield boosts his Rocket Punch ability, which flies faster and farther, and deals more damage when empowered.
“Power Block feels a bit like Zarya when people shoot at her shield, but instead of passively getting damage, his next punch gets a buff that lasts until he uses Rocket Punch or gets knocked out,” Chief Hero designer Jeff Goodman said. “When you block a blistering attack, you instantly gain energy. It feels like parrying.”
His last big change is his Earthquake Slam ability, which now fires Doomfist in a similar fashion to Winston’s jump, and will slow enemies down and deal damage on hit.
Overwatch 2 PvP Beta Screenshots
He also received other tweaks, which can be seen in Blizzard’s graphics (above), but overall, “Doomfist now has super-smooth maneuverability on all aircraft,” Goodman said. “He gets a lot of mobility with the seismic slam, but he doesn’t have as much jerky, unpredictable movement.”
Orisa has also been tweaked to work better in the new five-on-five game, and while Doomfist gets new defenses, Orisa’s rework focuses more on dealing damage.
Her Protective Barrier, Stop, and Booster abilities are all gone, and her primary firepower now fires larger projectiles that deal more damage the closer you get to the enemy.
Overwatch’s Orisa has made a major overhaul for the sequel (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
Senior Hero Designer Brandon Brennan said: “Her gun encouraged her to get closer to enemies and play a more forward role in Overwatch 2, and her increased health and armor contributed to the this idea.
Her secondary fire is a new skill called “Energy Javelin” which is a skill that shoots projectiles that can hit the first enemy in its path as a micro stun when you have a wall behind you will cause more damage.
Orisa’s next new ability is the Javelin Spin, which, as the name suggests, lets her spin her javelin to destroy incoming projectiles while also knocking back enemies and increasing her forward speed.
“Our main purpose with Javelin Spin is to help Orisa engage in combat,” says Brennan. “When used in conjunction with her other skills, it can be a deadly combo. You can push enemies back and then follow up with an energy javelin to push them.” Hit the wall.”
Her new ultimate is Terra Surge, which empowers Orisa and pulls in nearby enemies while performing an AOE attack, giving the team the perfect opportunity to coordinate a series of powerful attacks on enemies.
“We started her rework by removing Orisa’s barrier and her ability to pause, but we still thought the pause was really cool,” Brennan said. “We incorporated the idea of suspension into Orisa’s new ultimate, and that’s where the appeal came from.”
Blizzard didn’t say if there will be more rework, but some players will at least be able to test the changes in an upcoming closed beta.
New hero Sojourn will also be playable, meaning her massive railgun and focus on mobility can also be tried for the first time.
The PC closed beta will arrive on April 26, and while Blizzard hasn’t confirmed a release date for the game’s official release, it says PvP and PvE modes will arrive separately.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers tweeting @thelastdinsdale. He would talk about wizards all day.
