Confirmed Overwatch 2 Leak Details Doomfist, Orisa Reworks; Sojourn Kit

When an Overwatch 2 leak from GGRecon dropped this morning, there was an understandable level of doubt surrounding the report.  After all, the development of Overwatch 2 has been secretive at best (and painfully uncommunicative at worst). Though some leaks have slipped through the cracks (such as XQC’s recent on-stream gaff), the game’s development has been relatively air-tight. And as the famous saying goes, “anyone can make a leak”. So though many fans found themselves excited for the potential hero reworks detailed in the report, others were more cautious. That is, until today’s Overwatch 2 developer update.

Throughout the hour-long Livestream, Overwatch League host Soe Gschwind joined commercial lead Jon Spector, lead hero designer Geoff Goodman, & lead game director Aaron Keller for a Q&A style panel that gave fans brand new information about the state of the game’s alpha build. It was during this livestream that the panelists shared some brand new information about character reworks. First, they revealed that Doomfist, currently a damage hero, would become a tank in the new game. Next, they detailed the overpowered state of Sojourn, a hero set to be released alongside the new game. Finally, they implied that current tank hero Orisa would be receiving a new kit that includes a javelin.

This new information lines up perfectly with GGRecon’s Overwatch 2 leak, seemingly confirming their report. But what does this mean for the average Overwatch player? What changes can fans expect their favorite heroes to receive? And what can they expect from the game’s newest hero, Sojourn, once she hits the live game?

Sojourn

If there’s one thing we know about Sojourn, it’s that she’s strong. Really strong. It’s a sentiment that’s shared by alpha testers & Overwatch 2 devs alike. As such, Blizzard may be toning her down before release, if not reworking her completely. However, if history serves, her abilities are likely to be similar, if not untouched, once the beta launches. And thanks to today’s Overwatch 2 leak, we have a pretty good idea of what her kit should look like.

First is Sojourn’s railgun, a quintessential part of her kit, & the one that seems to have the most people up in arms. When fully charged, this pin-point accurate ability can eliminate a 200 H.P hero with a single headshot. While this ability may seem tame on the surface (after all, heroes like Widowmaker & Doomfist have been doing the same for years), it’s important to keep Sojourn’s incredible mobility in mind when discussing how she’ll use this piece of her kit. Her powerslide ability is said to be comparable to Baptiste’s exo-boots, & will give her both horizontal & vertical movement on a 5-second cooldown. And her “grenade-like” Disruptor Shot will slow enemies in an area around where it lands.

When combining these abilities, Sojourn should have incredible mobility, as well as the power to greatly influence enemies movement. This should make landing headshots easier on Sojourn than on other heroes, contributing to her “oppressive” damage and overall viability. All in all, Sojourn sounds like a strong hero who can fit into both poke and dive-oriented compositions. Though her current state may serve as a worry for some fans, it’s important not to focus too hard on it. With over a month before Overwatch 2’s April 26 beta, we’ll likely be seeing a very different, far more balanced Sojourn once she’s in the live game.

Doomfist

Of all the changes detailed in today’s leak and developer update, Doomfist’s move to tank role is by far the least surprising. The Overwatch community has been hearing murmurs of how the primarily CC focused hero could fit into Overwatch 2, a game that looks to tone down the amount of CC present in the game, for a while. And of the solutions being thrown around, the idea that Doomfist becoming a tank has become the most common.

However, despite Doomfists move to the tank role, he arguably hasn’t changed that much. The vast majority of Doomfists changes have reportedly been small retoolings, rather than massive moves. For one, Blizzard will be increasing his health to match other tanks. And for another, he will also be receiving a universal damage nerf. This most especially applies to his Rocket Punch, which can no longer one-shot “squishy” targets. Finally, two of his abilities- Uppercut and Seismic Slam, respectively- are merging into a single “jump”.

But that doesn’t mean that this hero won’t be getting some larger changes, too. His new ability, Power Block, will help him absorb damage, and raise his Rocket Punches’ destructiveness to pre-tank levels. And his new, unnamed “jump” ability will disrupt enemies in a relatively wide area once he lands. All in all, Doomfist, described as “strong” in his current state, and should add an exciting new type of tank play once his rework is live.

Orisa

Of all the heroes receiving changes in the new game, it’s hard to imagine any of them changing as much as Orisa. According to the Overwatch 2 Leak, Orisa will be the recipient of massive changes that turn her from a defensive hero to an aggressive one with fantastic control of space.

Over the course of this massive transformation, Orisa will lose both her Halt!, Supercharger, and Protective Barrier abilities. In exchange, she’ll receive three brand new ones. Energy Spear is a javelin that forces foes back on a hit, dealing extra damage if they impact a wall. Spear Spin gives Orisa a movement buff, destroys projectiles in front of her, and knocks back anybody in her path. And her new ultimate, Terra Lance, forces foes toward her while making her immune to crowd control. The move reportedly deals more damage the longer she channels it, and could be used to counter ultimates like Blizzard and Primal Rage. Of her old kit, Orisa will keep only Fortify, which will now give her additional health while it’s in use.

While these changes may unnerve fans of Orisa’s old, static kit, they should be incredibly healthy for the long-term state of the hero. Criticisms of Orisa for her boring, stationary playstyle have been common since her release. And metas that place her at the forefront of team compositions have forced groans out of Pros and Plats alike. This rework may not only save the Overwatch community from a feast or famine hero design, but also make Orisa far more enjoyable to play. However, until Blizzard releases these changes to the live game, fans will just have to wait and see how these changes will play out.

Special thanks to GGRecon and Sascha “Yiska” Heinisch for their fantastic coverage and breaking of this leak!