Overwatch 2 may not be releasing anytime soon, but that has not stopped Blizzard from detailing the changes that will be coming in the sequel. One of the latest changes teased is for none other than Bastion, as the adorable Omnic will play much differently in Overwatch 2.
Thus far, Blizzard has detailed several ability reworks for the sequel. For Reinhardt, he will now get two fire strikes as well as a cancelable charge, something that should help him become far more aggressive in Overwatch 2. For Mei and Winston, their main weapons have been changed, with Mei’s primary fire no longer freezing enemies and Winston getting a deadly new alternate fire ability. For Bastion, however, the changes will be on a larger scale.
In a blog post breaking down the changes to PvP, including the controversial switch to 5v5 matches, Blizzard shared that Bastion is getting a complete rework in the sequel. Per Blizzard, the mobile turret is being “reviewed and reworked from the ground up” for the sequel. Though Blizzard did not confirm what the “major changes” to his kit will be, it sounds as if the hero is going to be entirely different from his original self. While changes to abilities are a big deal, it sounds as if Bastion is having everything from his movement to his damage looked at.
While this change could disappoint some players, the reality is that Bastion is far too niche of a hero to be considered viable. As a result, he is one of the least popular Overwatch heroes in terms of his pick rate, with less than 1% of players choosing the hero in competitive play. Not only is Bastion too slow, but he only works in very specific situations. On top of this low mobility and rare usefulness, just about every Overwatch hero can counter Bastion, and most teams know exactly how to take him down. As a result, he is almost never seen outside of arcade mode.
With such major flaws, some players even believe that Bastion should be left behind in the sequel. To an extent, it seems like that will be happening, as Overwatch 2 could feature an entirely new version of the character. Whether this is done through new transformations that take allow him to fly and get better positioning, or some simple changes to his entire lineup of abilities, remains to be seen. As for when these changes could be shown, Blizzard has teased that footage for full hero reworks will be shown “later this year," though no specifics are shared regarding a potential reveal window.
While Bastion’s animated short, skins, beeps, and emotes have all made his personality a big hit with fans, this rework could improve the robot's gameplay enough to match his likability. For now, though, fans will need to wait to see the changes in action.
Overwatch 2 is in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: Blizzard