Overwatch 2 players are reporting that there are significant issues with Mei and her Ice Wall ability. Overwatch 2's multiplayer half officially launched this past week, and it's been a fiasco in more ways than one. Most of the issues have revolved around login server, cross-platform functionality, and Overwatch 2's monetization, but there have also been some balance and bug issues with many of Overwatch 2's characters - Mei, included.
A large part of the issue is that in the transition from Overwatch to Overwatch 2, Blizzard decided to make changes to the vast majority of the existing roster. Not every character was overhauled, but almost all characters received some kind of change. The updates make a lot of sense to have Overwatch 2 stand out and feel new. But considering the size of Overwatch 2's roster, it's easy to see how Blizzard may not have been able to test everything as much as necessary for launch.
Mei is an example of how the updates haven't gone smoothly. Overwatch 2 players on Reddit have been sharing video clips showing how Mei's Ice Wall is currently very broken, at least in certain circumstances. One player's video showed that the Ice Wall wasn't lifting Mei up like it's supposed to, and that standing on the wall or walking into it could displace the player to another location.
A second video captured a Mei bug that's even more alarming. In the video they're able to use Mei's wall to rise into the air, but in the process their standard attack no longer shoots where it's supposed to. Firing their weapon straight forward will hit a point below where they are, as if they hadn't been displaced by the Ice Wall whatsoever. The game doesn't appear to understand that the Mei has been lifted into the air.
Mei's Ice Wall has long been a problem for Blizzard to deal with. In 2017, Mei players used Ice Wall to glitch out of bounds and kill opponents from inside the wall. In 2019, the Ice Wall sent players flying into the air. In 2021, players could walk through the Ice Wall like it didn't even exist. Dynamically creating terrain anywhere in a given map is a complicated technological problem, one which continues to prove troublesome for Blizzard.
Blizzard very much has its hands full with various other issues in Overwatch 2, for the time being. Mei's Ice Wall is likely low priority, so it could be some time before she's fixed. It's a shame that she has such significant issues with the launch of Overwatch 2, and those who main Mei will be particularly disheartened. But Blizzard's priority was to get Overwatch 2 launched. Fixing its various bugs and technical issues will take some extra time.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.