Hero Bans in Overwatch 2 Bring Changes for Sombra, Zarya, and Others

Sure thing. Here goes:

So, I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up, but Blizzard did this thing with Overwatch 2 that’s got everyone buzzing, okay maybe not everyone, but a lot of folks. They rolled out a hero ban feature back in April. Yeah, it’s a bit like when your favorite radio station suddenly stops playing your favorite song. Or more like, certain characters in competitive games are being put on naughty list status. I’m talking Sombra, Zarya, Symmetra — some others too. It’s like they can’t catch a break. Why? Well, because people keep banning them. Surprise, surprise.

Picture this: Blizzard drops some juicy stats. On PC, Sombra’s getting the cold shoulder 85% of the time. Zarya? She’s next in line with 59%, and then you’ve got Doomfist at 43%. And if you’re playing on console (which, who’s not these days?), Sombra’s pretty much banned every time you blink — 93% ban rate. Zarya hits 57%. Symmetra’s down there at 23%, which, for her, might feel like a walk in the park.

Enter Gavin Winter — he’s a senior systems designer over at Blizzard. He talks about how they’re looking at all these hero bans, like some kind of data treasure map. Basically, they wanna make balance changes in Overwatch 2 with it. He mentions how heroes that seem to be everyone’s “least favorite” on certain maps might need a tweak here and there. Like, make them so they don’t keep getting the axe every match. No specific character changes ready to go just yet, but they’re keeping a close eye. No big decisions from this data alone, but it’s got them thinking.

Now, the mystery of what this means for heroes like Zarya and Symmetra is kind of like trying to figure out why I keep misplacing my keys — unclear. But Sombra? She’s on the same level as that TV show you love that everyone else just… can’t stand. Because, let’s be real: What’s even the point if you can’t play her when it counts? Kind of a letdown, right?

Blizzard claims they’re pretty satisfied with the hero ban system, quirks and all. Winter’s optimistic, saying the system’s hitting most of its targets. They’re even excited to let us peek behind the curtain at hero win rates and whatnot someday.

Oh, almost forgot. They’re planning to give you more say in how matches play out with some map-voting feature in season 17. Exciting times to be a player, or maybe not, depending on who you ask. Anyway, season 17’s rolling out in late June, so keep your eyes peeled.

Well, that’s all I got for now. Hope it made sense!