Summary
Overwatch 2just rolled out another hotfix that nerfed Hazard’s Spike Guard damage reduction and duration, how long Sojourn’s Railgun can hold a charge, and Widowmaker’s projectile size. This small balance update only affects heroes in 5v5, and is live inOverwatch 2right now.
At the start ofOverwatch 2Season 14 on June 27, 2025, both Hazard and Sojourn received some pretty big buffs. AnOverwatch 2hotfix on December 16 dialed back some of the strengthof these two heroes, with Hazard’s Downpour ultimate requiring more charge, and Sojourn receiving a nerf to her Railgun’s primary fire damage and the energy regeneration of her Disruptor Shot and Overclock ultimate.
It seems likeOverwatch 2isn’t done nerfing these two heroes. Another hotfix just went live that reduces Spike Guard’s damage reduction by 10% and duration by a half second for Hazard, as well as the time it takes for Sojourn’s Railgun to start losing charge by three seconds. Additionally, Widowmaker received a nerf, as her Widow’s Kiss no longer benefits from theglobal projectile size increase fromOverwatch 2Season 14while scoped, requiring players to be even more accurate with the sniper.
This hotfix is another instance ofOverwatch 2’s Rapid Balance Update techat work. WhileOverwatch 2previously had balance updates once a month, swapping between seasonal and mid-season patches, this new technology implemented during Season 13 has allowed Blizzard to fine tune over- or under-powered heroes much faster. Blizzard has already done two extra micro-updates in the first half of Season 14 alone, suggesting fans may see up to three times as many balance updates than before.
As this is a smaller update, replay codes have not been wiped quite yet. That said,Overwatch 2Season 14’s mid-season patch will likely arrive on January 14 or 21, so players who hope to save any game clips since December 19 should make sure to do so before they are erased during the next update.
It is important to note these balance changes only affect these three heroes in normal 5v5 games. While playing in 6v6, Hazard, Sojourn, and Widowmaker will continue to use the hero balance specific to that game mode. Due to the mode’s popularity, fans will havetwo extra weeks to play the 2-2-2 team composition 6v6 test inOverwatch 2before it begins the Min 1, Max 3 experiment on January 21. Players shouldn’t be surprised to see more hero balance in the mid-Season 14 update – most likely for both 5v5 and 6v6.
Overwatch 2 Season 14 Hotfix – July 03, 2025
Hotfix Balance Update
This is a hero balance hotfix. Replay codes from the July 26, 2025 patch are still available.
Hero Balance Updates
These hero balance updates only apply to our standard game modes and not the 6v6 Experiment.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
