More details on Bastion’s Overwatch 2 rework revealed
Blizzard EntertainmentOverwatch 2’s big PvP developer update stream introduced a lot of major changes to the game including the new 5v5 format and multiple tank updates, but one element that flew under the radar is that Bastion is finally getting reworked.
Update: May 24 at 5:09 PM EST
Overwatch Lead Hero Designer Geoff Goodman revealed more details about Bastion’s Overwatch 2 rework in a Reddit AMA. According to Goodman, keeping the transforming robot spirit of the character alive is important, so that will remain the same.
However, his Recon Mode weapon seems to be getting a big upgrade. “We’re looking at pushing his recon form’s range out by changing his recon weapon. This helps him generally be more useful, but also helps create separation between his other forms, especially sentry,” he explained.
As for Sentry Mode, that too is getting looked at. “For sentry form, the cost of reducing his mobility to gain huge damage is still interesting and it’s the heart of what makes him work. However, completely removing his mobility has proved to be too harsh of a penalty, and frankly it’s not realistically possible to balance him with this downside in mind.”
To compensate, they’re actually testing letting him move in Sentry Mode, albeit slowly while making his weapon less deadly.
“There is more to talk about with him down the road, but we’re still in the middle of reworking him so hopefully we’ll be able show him off in more detail down the road!” he exclaimed.
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Bastion has long been one of the most niche heroes in Overwatch. His lack of mobility may be offset by his overwhelming sentry mode damage, but there has never been a meta where the Omnic DPS shines brightest.
Primarily, we’ve seen him most used in the infamous pirate ship compositions where he sits in sentry form on the payload with a shield in his face to block incoming damage. Aside from that, he’s seen primarily as a throw pick with few players fully committing to maining him.
Throughout the years, many Overwatch players have called for Bastion to be reworked in a similar way to how Torbjorn, Symmetra, and Mercy have changed. Now, it seems like fans are finally getting their wish.
Blizzard EntertainmentDeep into the May 20 Overwatch 2 stream, the devs announced that Bastion was being reworked and a blog post further detailed their plans.
After detailing some previously announced changes such as Mei’s Endothermic Blaster doing more damage but not freezing enemies and Winston’s new long-range alternate fire, they briefly touched on Bastion.
“Other heroes like Bastion are being reviewed and reworked from the ground up, which will result in major changes to how the hero plays,” they wrote. “This shift will result in rebalancing and adjustments across the board – We’ll aim to give you a sneak peek on how things are coming for some heroes later this year.”
With Overwatch switching to 5v5, it’s understandable why Bastion would need to be evaluated. Not having an extra tank to absorb damage could spell doom for the already all-in hero.
Plus, with how tanks have changed, with Reinhardt having two Firestrikes for instance, a sentry form Bastion would be a sitting duck.
Unfortunately, the developers didn’t further delve into what changes the Omnic hero will receive, but with more Overwatch 2 updates planned, we shouldn’t have too much longer to wait.