Overwatch Lead Developer Geoff Goodman Gives Tips for New Hero Wrecking Ball
Blizzard EntertainmentOverwatch lead developer Geoff Goodman has offered some tips for playing new hero Wrecking Ball.
The latest addition to the Overwatch hero roster, Wrecking Ball, went live on July 24 after spending several weeks on the Public Test Realm.
Wrecking Ball is a tank with a unique playstyle. As a spherical battle-mech, most of Wrecking Ball’s kit revolves around movement, rolling around and using his grapple to swing from objects, gaining momentum with which to knock back enemies or height from which to drop a Piledriver.
In an interview with vg247, Geoff Goodman gave some tips for playing Wrecking Ball, highlighting both the new hero’s strengths and situations to watch out for.
Goodman highlights that Wrecking Ball is likely to be most effective against compositions that often group up together, particularly those with low mobility. Wrecking Ball is capable of diving in at high speeds and dealing area-of-effect damage, so smashing into a group of enemies has the potential to be devastating.
He warns, however, that momentum is key to Wrecking Ball’s movement, and so compositions that can disrupt that momentum – with the likes of McCree’s flashbang, for example – can make things dangerous, as escaping after a dive could be difficult.
“Anything that disrupts movement at all, even just briefly, can really mess him up. He doesn’t blink away or teleport away – even though he’s fast, he has to build up that speed. When he goes in and smashes into everyone or does a Piledriver, he has to start from zero again. That extra bit of time to get away or reposition can really be abused.”
Blizzard is apparently looking forward to seeing how Wrecking Ball effects traditional “dive” compositions, adding a new element to what has been one of the most consistently powerful strategies in the game.