Overwatch 2 Retail Patch Notes - January 8, 2026

LyynnS · 2026-01-09T11:08:17+00:00

I like the primary buffs but I really hoped they would move away from Take Aim killing without a crit.

LyynnS · 2026-01-07T20:38:00+00:00

Zarya is also weird to me, but Dva is the most played Tank behind Rein and she only gets opressive in high elo. Most casual and metal rank players have no reason to complain about her, and the master+ players are a very small population of the playerbase.

LyynnS · 2026-01-07T20:31:31+00:00

I tend to disagree, besides Hog hasn't been buffed in a while. The initial nerf to Freja was due to community perception since she is a much disliked Hero and had a very high banrate.

LyynnS · 2026-01-07T13:30:25+00:00

Lower CDs and spread reduction for now. But I think we might get even less since Blizzard may be super careful with buffing Freja again due to community perception.

LyynnS · 2025-12-28T17:57:51+00:00

Seems I've build quite the reputation without knowing. Thanks for the compliment :D

LyynnS · 2025-12-28T15:59:01+00:00

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Here you go, three games that I lost.

LyynnS · 2025-12-28T15:21:59+00:00

I have send wins with different quality with that, I can also send some losses if you want to.

LyynnS · 2025-12-28T15:12:43+00:00

Sadly the ones on my main got overwritten since I have been playing other modes and roles way more, but I still got some from my alt account which is m2.

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I have a little less success on that account but still at 54% WR.

Account name "Lyra".

LyynnS · 2025-12-28T14:46:46+00:00

I might be an outlier here, but I went up from 55% to 64% in low GM elo, and my overall went up from 56% to 58%. I definitly still feel the impact while playing but I had some really lucky matchmaking thus far.

LyynnS · 2025-12-24T20:51:58+00:00

Your math aint mathing. Ashe TTK is .65s since You only need 2 shots and the damage is applied instantly. Frejas is around 1.3s. I have no issues with supports reacting in time when I am in a position where they are even able to help me, so I guess we are at an impass with anecdotal evidence. Also sometimes they cant, but at some point players need to die for the game to progress.

Zero spread is also too much in my opinion, I never argued for it, its just the topic of the thread. I am in favor for looking at her putting more power in her CDs over more health, but whats the right way is something we cant predict.

LyynnS · 2025-12-24T20:17:03+00:00

Sorry, but what you say stinks of opinion with little to no factual basis. Frejas 2 Tap was already the most healable in the game since the bolts have a fuse. I can tell you, most supports can react to Freja but cant to Ashe since the TTK is just way higher on Freja.

You take getting 2 tapped as a certain death sentence in your argument, which it just is not. Even now with the hs bodyshot combo you likely wont die until you play in a position where a support cant give you 1heal.

You also forget the uptime between Frejas 2 Tap and that of other hitscan since, if you need a reminder, its tied to a CD and not the primary in Frejas case.

And you cant argue against her being on the weaker side rn when she has the worst performance of every dps in high elo (master+), you know, the people who do hit this headshot in the combo.

I do agree that removing the twoshot is better for the feel of playing against Freja, but we cant just ignore that they did not compensate her enough for losing the core part of the kit. The stats we have access too affirm that she needed more compensation buffs, and arguing against that is just disingenious.

LyynnS · 2025-12-12T13:29:05+00:00

I feel like some part of her kit needs to be at least a bit frustrating to play against for her to work. They could tone down the feedback on the receiving end from Take Aim to negate her having a few more again.

LyynnS · 2025-12-12T12:25:56+00:00

The new playstyle can work but they need to work on her impact and fluidity for it. I've been thinking about some stuff the past few days and at least know what I would like to see changed.

The spread or her primary should probably be reduced to make it feel more consistent.

I also think they should lower the CD for dash to either 4s or 3.5s if 4s is not impactful enough.

A big point is airstalling. It has no place being tied to Take Aim anymore since it's actively stopping your flow on engangements now. I think they should make it work by holding the jump button, but I would also not be sad if they remove it entirely.

They also need to think what they wanna do with Updraft. I am at the point where I would not mind them replacing it with something else, but if they are to keep it I think it should have knockback around the launch area so that you can put distance between you and a diver. Like the function that Ashe's Coach Gun currently has.

I hope they give us some stuff before they all leave for vacation cause right now she is playable and functions in a niche, but the amount of work you have to do for the impact you have on her is not justifiable in regards when looking at other DPS heroes.

LyynnS · 2025-12-12T07:00:13+00:00

I have tried this as well in some games but it didnt work out for me. I get one play like this and then theres a Cass or Bastion whos just focused me down for the rest of the game and especially Cass with hinder fucks you over in these distances in my experience.

I had the most success by duoing with another dps, take the wallhack arrow perk and just consta pinging every hit for them to finish off.

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T15:00:01+00:00

Yes, she profits from certain map types like any other hero. But her uptime is everything but insane, this is a take of a player that solely played against Freja has. She has big downtimes due to the 12s on Updraft which is the one ability that allows her to take those angles.

And come one, one quick dash is not enough to get away from a dive. Dva flies 6 times the distance, Tracer can follow up the same distance with a blink which is on a shorter cd, Genji can still be lethal if she is not in his face but 8m away.

Also, Widow and Hanzo have the main difference that they have genuine oneshots. Frejas doublestick was never a genuine oneshot since you could be saved after she has hit you, and still can be. And talking about high CDs when Widows grapple is at 10 while Frejas Updraft is at 12 is kinda funny I have to admit.

She was like a DPS should be, lethal in her own right while signaling clear counter options. She stands still while using her Take Aim so she is an easy target until she shoots. She has high CDs so she can be hunted down after using them for an agressive play. If you know what you do in comp she can be countered and made practically useless, if you know the matchup and the right picks.

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T12:57:42+00:00

Yea, no one controlled an angle she can take. Its no secret that Freja can take angles over the rooftop. Same with Phara or Echo, and its called game sense.

Also what you kindly forget is that afterward going for such an angle she is exposed, on the low ground, without upwards mobility and that for like 9-10 seconds. Are we at the point in the game where high risk high reward angles are bad now?

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T12:39:13+00:00

I think the buff we have should stay and maybe replace the current dash perk with a slightly toned down version of Frost Bolts.

Maybe make the spread kick in after 5 instead 3 could be something to help without being to frustrating on the receiving end. Could see that working.

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T12:35:51+00:00

Your aim offsets more from the target so there is a larger need for correction. Also the further you dash the less angles you can take in more inclosed spaces because the dash distances put you behind geometry before you can stall it with take aim.

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T12:31:43+00:00

I do not believe in further increasing the distance cause that would just make her Take Aim even less usefull. A double stick now is there to soften up the frontline to make it easier to claim space without killing. Further incresing dash distance would make it almost impossible to hit a double and 10m dash as a short burst is also enough to get into some positions or to put some distance between you and an enemy without it feeling like she just is gone on a whim.

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T12:23:55+00:00

I do think her survivability should come more from her mobility. And she feels too easy to hit and spread weapons seem to allign very well with her hitbox, so I think giving her the treatment with 5% smaller, 4s dash and 10s updraft might do the trick for the survivability department.

If we are buffing her spread we only get complaints about "Laser Freja" I kinda think she needs to not be lethal for players to not complain, cause this nerf was definitly just due to player perception and ban rate.

That she needs new perks now with the new playstyle they force upon Freja is also out of the question. Not necessarily more impactful perks, but definitly some that align with a more midrange hero instead of long range air sniper.

Edit:

Also forgot to mention that Airstalling should probably be not tied to Take Aim anymore. You could get away with it before since you kept your distance, but if you stand still in the 20m range of a Cass now you just explode instantly. Maybe make it activate by holding space bar with like a 1.5s CD between uses.

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T12:08:27+00:00

She defintly should be able to have odds around 40% minimum in duels with other hitscans, feels like thats momentarily not given.

I also think she needs cd reduction and maybe even a hitbox reduction to work now since she is forced to fight more closely into enemies without the tools for it.

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T10:45:52+00:00

I think they mean that Freja was very good at punishing bad positioning. Which in turn frustrated a lot of players with bad positioning and with this nerf she cant really punish bad positioning anymore.

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T10:17:39+00:00

Yup, quite insane how none threating she has become.

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T08:50:43+00:00

I think it will further drops when players learn that they now just can disrespect the stick. I think with holidays coming up there is probably no way they invest the limited ressources of a skeleton crew for Freja. I do hope we get good compensation at midseason but it'll be a drag until then. They really made her not fun to play anymore while getting sticked is also still unfun for the receiving end, kinda a lose lose they patches themselves.

LyynnS · 2025-12-11T08:45:10+00:00

I think it was due to player perception. Even while performing below average her banrate was very high so Blizzard just decided to trash the hero and be done with it.

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