Overwatch 2 devs confirm Roadhog will keep core abilities despite rework

One of Overwatch 2’s most controversial tanks is getting a rework, and the dev team have revealed that he’ll be keeping his core abilities despite the changes.

Roadhog has always been difficult to balance. As a tank hero, his class is built around high durabilty, crowd control and protecting the team, but Roadhog’s hook has always felt different from other tank abilities.

The consistency of his hook in securing kills has been a longstanding point of tension in Overwatch that dates back to when he was first release. Even during the patches when he hasn’t been able to pull off guaranteed one-shots on 200hp heroes, any reasonable follow-up can usually translate a hit hook into an instant numbers advantage.

However, Roadhog’s hook is unique to his design and a big part of his appeal, which is why the devs seem intent on preserving it in some form after his rework.

Roadhog will keep his hook and heal after rework

While discussing the upcoming changes to the game and its heroes in the Competitive Overwatch subreddit, Lead Hero Designer Alec Dawson confirmed that both the hook and the “vape”, Hog’s healing ability (Take a Breather) would be staying despite the rework.

He said: “Hook and Vape are both staying :)” in response to fears that Hog would lose his healing, which is a big part of why he’s able to have so much staying power.

However, the reliance on this healing is a big part of why Roadhog is struggling in the current meta. Ana is being played a lot right now, and a well-timed anti-heal nade can completely cancel take a breather, effectively halving Hog’s health pool in fights.

For more news and updates on upcoming reworks in Overwatch 2, check out the challenges the Overwatch team are facing with their rework of Sombra for Season 7.