Overwatch · Full Breakdown

Every Overwatch Balance Suggestion

Bring every hero into roughly the same tier of the meta without making them lose their identity or the things that make them fun to play.

Proposed changes 143
Buffs 45
Nerfs 87
Heroes covered 52

Suggestions written against the June 16th, 2026 patch notes of Season 3, walking the roster from top to bottom. Perks are deliberately out of scope — the changes target base kits only.

Below is every hero grouped by tier, with a one-line summary of what each proposal is trying to do. Follow any name for the full structured breakdown: the move or ability affected, the proposed adjustment, the issue it targets, and the stated reasoning.

Low Tier

Low Tier — Slight Buffs Across The Kit

For each hero in D and F tier, slightly buff each part of the kit. Not every suggestion needs to be implemented, but all of them should be taken into consideration.

  • Reinhardt Buffs 4 changes

    Reinhardt gets faster across the board when using his kit.

  • Junker Queen Buffs 5 changes

    She gets better rewarded for landing her blade, along with slightly more damage and healing across the kit.

  • Mercy Mixed 2 changes

    A damage boost that decays is meant to stop Mercy players from pocketing a single player and push them to spread the boost across the whole team.

  • Zenyatta Buffs 4 changes

    Zenyatta's abilities become a bit more effective and he gains a slight speed increase to help him position.

  • Sombra Mixed 6 changes

    The goal is to make Sombra less annoying to play against by putting hack on a much longer cooldown and making it harder to use, then letting the player choose between mobility with planned engagements or extra damage through Virus.

Mid Tier

Mid Tier — Trade A Strength For A Weakness

For each hero in B and C tier, slightly buff one part of the kit and slightly nerf another. The goal is to reduce the unfair parts of a hero while lessening their weaknesses.

  • Reaper Mixed 2 changes

    Shadow Step takes more skill to use well than Wraith Form does, so the cooldown comes down on the harder ability and the speed comes down on the easier one.

  • Bastion Mixed 2 changes

    Assault damage always felt very high while Bastion's mobility was very low, so he trades damage for reliable repositioning.

  • Ashe Mixed 2 changes

    Ashe becomes slightly more vulnerable when trying to escape, while her dynamite gets more efficient at what it does.

  • Freja Mixed 2 changes

    Her projectiles sometimes miss even with good aim, so they move faster — and because they now land more reliably, refreshing the dash takes longer.

  • Symmetra Mixed 2 changes

    These changes should help Symmetra stop relying on her turrets so much.

  • Soldier: 76 Mixed 2 changes

    Soldier hits very hard when he flanks, but he has a hard time surviving when he gets flanked, so multidirectional sprint lets him reposition better.

  • Genji Mixed 2 changes

    Genji lands more shuriken while his sword becomes a little harder to get kills with from a distance.

  • Sierra Mixed 2 changes

    Her helix rifle struggles to hit targets at range without the tracking shot, and it is fair for her to be a little easier to hit while grappling.

  • Vendetta Mixed 2 changes

    She becomes more threatening at a distance, at the cost of swinging a little slower up close where she can be really dominant.

  • Torbjörn Mixed 2 changes

    Torbjörn lands more of his own shots and relies on the turret less.

  • Hanzo Mixed 2 changes

    Arrows become slightly harder to land, but Hanzo can create distance from dive heroes a little better.

  • Widowmaker Mixed 2 changes

    No rationale is given for these two changes. Per the document's stated policy, an unexplained change simply means the hero should be slightly toned up or toned down.

  • Shion Mixed 2 changes

    A little less access to charging burst damage, in return for pistols that are a little more effective at range.

  • Mauga Mixed 2 changes

    Mauga sustains a little more consistently without his damage being as oppressive at close or mid range.

  • Sigma Mixed 2 changes

    Kinetic Grasp mitigates an enormous amount of damage, while Hyperspheres feel slow even up close.

  • Orisa Mixed 2 changes

    The javelin creates a huge advantage at close range, while Terra Surge can be too easy to walk out of.

  • Domina Mixed 2 changes

    Crystal Charge is easy to dodge at range so it moves faster, while her very disruptive ultimate becomes easier to destroy.

  • Winston Mixed 2 changes

    Push Winston toward the poke meta while making him slightly less oppressive in dive.

  • Roadhog Mixed 2 changes

    Hook one-shots and disruptions become harder to land, but his main way of fending off enemies has less downtime.

  • Brigitte Mixed 2 changes

    She only has one movement tool, so it should get her to safety or land a hit more reliably — at the cost of her free armour healing taking longer to land.

  • Wuyang Mixed 2 changes

    The healing stream depletes so fast that it gets used sparingly, but the best moment to dump it should not out-heal critical damage.

  • Baptiste Mixed 2 changes

    Immortality Field is too easy to step into, while Baptiste's single movement tool should be more reliable in a fight.

  • Lifeweaver Mixed 2 changes

    Petal Platform gets used defensively a great deal, so his other escape option becomes more reliable in exchange.

  • Mei Mixed 2 changes

    Mei becomes more oppressive at range but cannot lean on Cryo-Freeze as much.

  • Anran Mixed 2 changes

    She rushes very frequently, so she should be slightly easier to hit doing it — and better rewarded for getting Dancing Blaze into range.

  • Venture Mixed 2 changes

    Venture becomes a little easier to hit while dashing, but lands primary fire a little more reliably.

  • Junkrat Mixed 2 changes

    Frag Launcher shots become a bit easier to hit while concussion mines are slightly less rewarding.

  • Doomfist Mixed 3 changes

    Doomfist is slightly easier to hit while leaping, but his punches land more reliably and let him escape faster. The document also floats an optional empowered-fist rework to give him his combos back.

  • Mizuki Mixed 2 changes

    He gets better healing for keeping the pressure on, with slightly less access to binding.

  • Moira Mixed 2 changes

    Moira's escape becomes slightly less reliable, but she is better rewarded for hitting multiple targets.

  • Jetpack Cat Mixed 2 changes

    Slightly less mobile but able to land shots better, which matters given how much distance Jetpack Cat keeps from allies and enemies alike.

High Tier

High Tier — Slight Nerfs Across The Kit

For each hero in S and A tier, slightly nerf each part of the kit. The author notes these are not all meant to be implemented, and invites feedback on which should take priority.

  • Sojourn Nerfs 4 changes

    Sojourn has been strong since release and has usually stayed in S tier. The charge shot in particular bursts health down very fast, so landing it should take more skill.

  • Tracer Mixed 3 changes

    Tracer has always been fast and glassy, rushing enemies down. Her damage can delete a target very quickly while she is hard to hit, so the magazine hits for less but empties faster.

  • Emre Nerfs 3 changes

    Emre has a lot of ways to deal burst damage, so his damage comes down a little across the board.

  • Zarya Nerfs 2 changes

    No rationale is given for these changes. Per the document's stated policy, an unexplained change means the hero should simply be toned down slightly.

  • D.Va Mixed 4 changes

    D.Va sometimes feels a little too mobile and too oppressive, so several of her abilities spend longer on cooldown.

  • Lúcio Nerfs 4 changes

    Lúcio is quite hard to hit while riding a wall, and the speed he distributes comes down across the kit.

  • Kiriko Nerfs 4 changes

    No rationale is given for these changes. Per the document's stated policy, an unexplained change means the hero should simply be toned down slightly.

  • Pharah Nerfs 4 changes

    No rationale is given for these changes. Per the document's stated policy, an unexplained change means the hero should simply be toned down slightly.

  • Cassidy Nerfs 3 changes

    Cassidy picks up easy kills because his gun fires so fast, so slowing his attacks down gives opponents more time to react.

  • Echo Nerfs 3 changes

    No rationale is given for these changes. Per the document's stated policy, an unexplained change means the hero should simply be toned down slightly.

  • Ramattra Nerfs 4 changes

    No rationale is given for these changes. Per the document's stated policy, an unexplained change means the hero should simply be toned down slightly.

  • Wrecking Ball Nerfs 3 changes

    Wrecking Ball should have to be more precise about positioning when using his abilities, so several of their radii shrink.

  • Hazard Nerfs 5 changes

    No rationale is given for these changes. Per the document's stated policy, an unexplained change means the hero should simply be toned down slightly.

  • Ana Nerfs 4 changes

    No rationale is given for these changes. Per the document's stated policy, an unexplained change means the hero should simply be toned down slightly.

  • Illari Nerfs 5 changes

    No rationale is given for these changes. Per the document's stated policy, an unexplained change means the hero should simply be toned down slightly.

  • Juno Mixed 4 changes

    No rationale is given for these changes. Per the document's stated policy, an unexplained change means the hero should simply be toned down slightly.

Where The Source Is Unclear

22 of the 52 entries contain something ambiguous, contradictory or incomplete in the original analysis. Those points are flagged on the relevant hero page rather than resolved with a guess:

  • Reinhardt — The source calls the weapon "Jet hammer"; it is read here as Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer.
  • Mercy — Mercy sits in the low-tier section, where the stated philosophy is to slightly buff each part of the kit, but this change reads as a rework or a nerf to pocketing rather than a straightforward buff.
  • Sombra — The document credits the resource-based invisibility idea to an outside creator ("infamous strategy"), but the link given in the source is truncated and cannot be resolved.
  • Soldier: 76 — The source calls the weapon a "heavy assault rifle"; it is read here as the Heavy Pulse Rifle.
  • Hanzo — The rationale refers to "Storm arrow" being harder to land, while the change is written for Storm Bow projectile speed.
  • Widowmaker — The document gives no explanation for the Widowmaker changes, which it states means the hero should simply be toned up or down slightly.
  • Lifeweaver — The rationale says Petal Platform "should be on longer cool down," but the change as written reduces the cooldown to 14 seconds. The intended direction is unclear.
  • Doomfist — The empowered gauntlet idea is presented by the author as an open proposal — they explicitly say they do not know whether allowing an empowered punch after an empowered slam would be overpowered.
  • Tracer — The rate of fire figure is given as a range ("25 or 30 bullets a second") rather than a single value.
  • Zarya — The document gives no explanation for the Zarya changes, which it states means the hero should simply be toned down slightly.
  • D.Va — The author explicitly flags the baby D.Va idea as uncertain — they consider it a buff, are skeptical about strengthening a high-tier tank's weaker form, and ask for feedback rather than asserting it should ship.
  • Lúcio — The Wall Ride figure is given as a range ("25% or 20%") rather than a single value.
  • Kiriko — The Swift Step range is given as "25 or 20 meters" rather than a single value.
  • Pharah — The document gives no explanation for the Pharah changes.
  • Cassidy — The source refers to Cassidy's ability as a flashbang rather than the Magnetic Grenade.
  • Echo — The document gives no explanation for the Echo changes.
  • Ramattra — The document gives no explanation for the Ramattra changes.
  • Wrecking Ball — Two figures are given as ranges ("75% or 70%", "12 or 11 meters") rather than single values.
  • Hazard — The source reads "should be reduced 21 damage," which could mean reduced to 21 or reduced by 21.
  • Ana — The document gives no explanation for the Ana changes.
  • Illari — The Outburst line reads "knockback radius on enemies should be reduced to 17.5 m/s," mixing a radius with a speed value; it is read here as the knockback speed.
  • Juno — The Pulsar Torpedoes cooldown is written as being reduced, which would be a buff, inside a section the document describes as slightly nerfing each part of the kit.

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