Overwatch 2 Season 6 to Bring Balance Changes to Mercy & Kiriko

The forthcoming Season 6 patch of Overwatch 2 promises a multitude of balance changes, including adjustments to several support heroes such as Mercy and Kiriko.

Credit: Activision Blizzard

As Season 6 marks the introduction of PvE content, a new support hero, and a core mode, the update is set to be one of the game's most substantial ones yet. Naturally, with such a massive update, balance changes are also on the horizon, involving both buffs and nerfs for various heroes.

In a recent blog update, Game Director Aaron Keller shed light on the tweaks coming for several supports, with a special focus on Mercy and Kiriko.

Mercy
Credit: Activision Blizzard

Mercy's damage boost ability, a topic of contention, will see a slight reduction. Previously boosting an ally's damage by 30%, the ability will now be lowered to 25%. The goal is to maintain the ability's effectiveness while addressing damage spikes. Keller acknowledged the diverse opinions surrounding this change and assured the team's receptiveness to the community's feedback.

kiriko
Credit: Activision Blizzard

On the other hand, Kiriko's "Protection Suzu," a potent ability that can cleanse status effects like burns, will also undergo modifications. While it will heal slightly less, the ability will now deliver an additional burst of healing when cleansing negative effects. Additionally, the slight knockback on Suzu is being removed to make the ability more focused and situational, encouraging players to utilize it strategically.

The introduction of unique additional healing for allies with negative effects adds an intriguing dimension to Kiriko's toolkit and will undoubtedly be closely observed by players.

As Overwatch 2 Season 6 begins on August 10, support mains will have the opportunity to explore the changes to Mercy and Kiriko while also experimenting with the new hero, making for lively discussions and gameplay during the OW2 Invasion.

Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 is a team-based first-person shooter developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. As a sequel to the original Overwatch, the game introduces new heroes, maps, and game modes, while retaining the core gameplay mechanics that made its predecessor popular. Overwatch 2 features both Player versus Environment (PvE) and Player versus Player (PvP) modes, expanding the story and universe of Overwatch with cooperative missions and narrative-driven content. The game emphasizes teamwork, strategy, and hero-based combat, offering a dynamic and engaging experience for players.

Genres
First-Person Shooter (FPS)
Platform(s)
PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
Release Date
Oct 4, 2022
Price
Free
Developer(s)
Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher(s)
Blizzard Entertainment
ESRB Rating
T