Since launch, Overwatch has seen plenty of tweaks to keep the game balanced and players engaged. From new heroes, maps, and game modes to smaller changes, Overwatch has changed quite a bit in the years since launch. Now, it appears more changes are in the pipeline for Reaper and McCree, two of Overwatch’s original heroes.

Blizzard is currently testing for both characters that should help make them feel more balanced. Reapers changes will be the most significant of the two, as one of the character’s primary abilities, the Reaping, is being  heavily adjusted. Currently, the Reaping restores 40% of damage done to Reaper’s health, making him pretty difficult to kill in most situations. However, the PTR is currently testing a drop to 30% health restored, which should help quite a bit. It likely won’t knock the character off any Overwatch tier lists, but will undoubtedly be appreciated by players should it make it to the full game.

McCree is also getting an overall nerf, though his base health is being increased from 200 to 250, making him a tad bit harder to kill. However, the recovery time of Peacekeeper, McCree’s primary fire, is increasing to 0.5 seconds from 0.42 seconds, slowing down his damage-dealing capabilities. Lastly, firing Deadeye will no longer lock the player’s aim. It’s yet another drop in the bucket of Overwatch’s long list of hero changes since the game launched.

Reaper and McCree mains need not be afraid quite yet, as the changes haven’t actually been implemented into the full game. Right now, the changes have only been made to the PTR, the test server players on PC have access to. While this does signal that changes will be coming down the line, nothing has been finalized. There’s still time for Blizzard to further adjust stats or cancel the changes completely. Rumor has it that hero bans could be coming to Overwatch, which would have an even greater effect on the game.

With Overwatch 2 on the way, changes the hero shooter won’t be slowing down anytime soon. The game has cultivated a massive community, with plenty of work being done to ensure that its professional scene stays invigorated. It’s hard to say what the game will look like in a few years, but there are bound to be plenty of surprises between now and then.

Overwatch is available now for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

Source: Blizzard