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

Sure thing. Here you go:

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So, here we are. Blizzard kinda, sorta tossed out this hero ban thing for Overwatch 2 back in April. If you’ve been in the competitive scene during season 16, you’ve probably noticed. Like, seriously, who hasn’t been banned? Sombra? Sure, she’s gone a lot. Zarya, Symmetra, Ana, Mercy? Yeah, they’re also in the mix. Anyway, Blizzard’s data pretty much confirms this—duh—and they hinted about possible tweaks. Maybe these bans mean some heroes will get a rework. But who knows for sure, right?

Here’s a wild stat: Sombra is top dog on PC bans at 85%. Zarya follows at 59%, and then there’s Doomfist chilling at 43%. On consoles, though? Surprise, surprise, Sombra gets the boot with a whopping 93% ban rate! Zarya is still there at 57%, and then Symmetra sneaks in at 23%. So, it’s a bit of a trend, huh?

Gavin Winter, a senior brainy guy over at Blizzard, mentioned they’re gonna use this ban data to guide some balance changes. Heroes might get rejigged, especially those that are always banned. I guess if no one’s playing certain heroes, they might get some love. But, Gavin made it clear—this data isn’t the be-all and end-all. Like, who knows what they’ll actually do.

This whole situation with Sombra? It’s kinda crazy. If she’s out of action in 85% of competitive games, because, well, people just can’t stand her, that’s a bit of a headache. I mean, what’s even the point of mastering her if she’s always getting banned? Total waste of time, right?

Despite some oddities in how the hero ban system works, Blizzard seems chill about it. Winter feels the system’s hitting most of its goals. They’re super curious about how hero bans will change, especially when more win and pick rate stats drop. Ah, the suspense!

Oh, and get this—season 17 is dropping late June, and they’re giving us a map-voting feature. More control to the players, they say. Let’s see how that shakes things up.