Reinhardt may no longer be the tank of choice in Overwatch

Every good team in Overwatch needs a tank. That one fella who’ll soak up damage, dish it back out and keep his pals covered as they escort the payload. For those of you who prefer to tank it up, Rheinhardt is most likely your go-to choice. It’s not hard to see why: Seldom tweaked, always reliable and an all-rounder who has been a part of Overwatch since day one.

That could all be changing soon, as Rheinhardt’s run as tank numero uno could be lessened somewhat in favour of the newest Panzer on the block, Orisa.Over on the latest Public Test Realm for Overwatch, Blizzard is currently testing a change to Rheinhardt’s Earthshatter ultimate that nerfs its effects for targets on the ground, its actual height impact and length.

In short, Earthshatter has seen its range reduced from three meters to two as its ability to “climb” has also been reduced. “Earthshatter tended to climb unexpectedly high, frequently hitting targets that were significantly above the ground,” read the developer comments via PC Gamer.

These changes help the ability stay more grounded.

It sounds minor, but that’s actually a huge knock if it goes beyond the PTR and into Overwatch proper. Orisa has also been tinkered with, her tank abilities now switching to a higher focus on defense overall as her Fusion Driver weapon damage has been reduced by 15% and her Protective Barrier cooldown now requiring an 8 second recharge instead of 12. “To help Orisa maintain the front line for her team, we’re reducing the cooldown of her Protective Barrier,” Blizzard explained.

This change also helps her reposition the barrier more easily when needed. To compensate for this new defensive strength, we’re reducing her Fusion Driver’s damage, as it felt too high.

Other PTR changes so far:

• Soldier 76 – Heavy Pulse rifle bullet damage decreased from 20 to 19 per shot fired
• Genji – No more attack cooldown after a wall-climb
• Hanzo – Draw time for nocking arrows decreased by 10%, charged arrows maintain a charge after a wall-climb
• Reaper – Ammo refilled after Wraith Form is used

“Decreasing Hanzo’s draw time gives him more overall DPS, while also letting him fully charge an arrow and more quickly return to full movement speed when needed,” Blizzard said of the changes to the elder Hamada brother.

As usual, bear in mind that these tweaks are still being tested. Some of them may make it. Some of them may not, as the Overwatch times are a’changin’ yet again in the near future.

Last Updated: May 4, 2017