Overwatch 2 Retail patch notes for May 9, 2023, is on the way. In the latest Overwatch 2 retail update, two new events have been introduced. “Starwatch: Galactic Rescue” is a four-point Assault mode where players choose between the Watcher rebels or the Infinite Empire to battle for the rescue of 3CH-0 from the Infinite Galactrius starship. Several general updates have been implemented, including improvements to the ping system, a respawn time increase in the Push game mode.
Overwatch 2 Retail Patch Notes for May 9, 2023
EVENT UPDATES
New Event – Starwatch: Galactic Rescue
Battle for the fate of the galaxy in this new four-point Assault mode. Side with the Watcher rebels alongside the mighty Bonebreaker to rescue 3CH-0 from the Infinite Galactrius starship. Or serve the Infinite Empire and use the starship’s security systems to defend against the intruders. Your choice will decide the fate of the galaxy, for whichever side wins more battles by the end of the event will reign supreme!
Complete event challenges to unlock limited-time cosmetics, like the Asteroid Wrecking Ball epic skin, as well as up to 50,000 Battle Pass XP.
Battle for Olympus Returns
To celebrate Zeus Junker Queen’s victory from Season 2’s Battle for Olympus event, we are bringing back the game mode for a limited time, including an all-new Team Deathmatch version! To further commemorate the victors of Season 2, a statue of the god herself has been erected in Ilios.
GENERAL UPDATES
Ping System
- “Group Up” can now be used while dead.
- Added a new setting to Controls -> Communication -> Ping – Options -> Enable Contextual Comms Wheel. When Enabled, this setting changes “Group Up” and “Need Healing” to use alternate comms when aiming at allies. This setting is “Off” by default.
- Junker Queen can now ping targets through surfaces that her knife is stuck in, in the same way that Zenyatta can ping targets his Discord is attached to.
Push Game Mode Update
- The respawn time for players is increased by 2 seconds from 10s to 12s while their team’s forward spawn location is activated.
Developer Comments: Forward spawn locations were proving to be too advantageous for the team with the lead, making it a bit too difficult for the disadvantaged team to mount a comeback.
Matchmaking
- MMR decay system has received multiple improvements aimed at more quickly and accurately re-calibrating players when they return from a long period of inactivity.
COMPETITIVE UPDATES
- The 2023 Competitive Deathmatch season begins on May 16th!
HERO UPDATES
TANK
JUNKER QUEEN
Developer Comments: These changes increase Junker Queen’s front-line presence by increasing her self-healing and offensive sustainability. We’ve also increased Jagged Blade’s projectile size so it’s more consistent to land.
Scattergun
- Maximum ammo increased from 6 to 8
Jagged Blade
- Projectile size increased from 0.15 to 0.20 meters
Rampage
- Now deals 40 impact damage
- Wound damage decreased from 100 to 60
Adrenaline Rush
- Adrenaline passive healing multiplier increased from 1.25 to 2x damage dealt by wounds
ORISA
Developer Comments: Orisa often gets a lot of value with her abilities, but she is underperforming compared to other tanks. Increasing her weapon damage will make her more of an immediate threat after closing the distance with the enemy team.
Augmented Fusion Driver
- Damage increased from 12 to 13
WINSTON
Developer Comments: It’s difficult to deal full damage with Winston’s leap due to needing to land almost directly on the enemy hero. Increasing this range will improve its consistency.
Jet Pack
- Damage radius before falloff begins increased from 1 to 1.3 meters
WRECKING BALL
Developer Comments: Adaptive Shields gives Wrecking Ball a lot of leeway in a fight due to its duration. This change to Adaptive Shields limits his survivability during prolonged engagements.
Adaptive Shield
- Effect duration decreased from 9 to 7 seconds
DAMAGE
ECHO
Developer Comments: The following changes increase the flexibility of Echo’s Duplicate ultimate and shift some of its focus away from the allure of building multiple copied ultimates in a single use. This puts more of an emphasis on choosing a Duplicate target based on the hero’s overall utility for a given situation, with the benefit of increased survivability due to transforming. Echo will get her ultimate more frequently but it will be more difficult to generate the copied hero’s ultimate.
Duplicate
- Ultimate cost reduced 25%
- Ultimate generation decreased from 5.5x to 4x while Duplicate is active
JUNKRAT
Developer Comments: The previous adjustment to Concussion Mine’s maximum damage lowered the effectiveness of Junkrat’s grenade and mine combos too much so we are increasing the damage amount slightly.
Concussion Mine
- Maximum damage increased from 100 to 110
SUPPORT
ANA
Developer Comments: Ana’s survivability has improved significantly ever since the addition of the support passive. We are reducing the amount of healing provided by the Biotic Grenade explosion as she doesn’t need to rely on it for self-healing as much as before.
Biotic Grenade
- Explosion healing decreased from 100 to 60
BAPTISTE
Developer Comments: Immortality Field provides powerful utility, but its long cooldown means that Baptiste often has to wait for the perfect opportunity to use it. We’re decreasing its cooldown slightly to promote more flexibility in usage, though it will still be uncommon to see it in more than once per engagement.
Immortality Field
- Cooldown decreased from 25 to 23 seconds
KIRIKO
Developer Comments: Kiriko sometimes accidentally interrupts her Kunai reload with Ofuda. Kunai now reloads slightly sooner during the animation to mitigate this. In addition, there is now a hero option, “Healing Ofuda Cancels Reload,” which can be turned off to bypass this issue entirely.
Kunai
- Kunai reloads after 65% percent of the animation has completed (formerly 75%)
- New Hero option: “Healing Ofuda Cancels Reload”
LIFEWEAVER
Developer Comments: Earthshatter is an ultimate where positioning is critical to effectively use, so we are adjusting it so that Reinhardt doesn’t have their ultimate be effectively canceled when Lifeweaver uses Life Grip.
Life Grip
- Reinhardt is no longer a valid target for Life Grip during Earthshatter, and using Earthshatter will cancel Life Grip.
HERO OPTION UPDATES
In addition to the hero balance adjustments in this update, we are implementing multiple quality-of-life settings for several heroes to give you the ability to custom-tailor your experience of playing your favorite heroes.
TANK
D.VA
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Hide Boosters Cancel Text – Off by default
- Hide Boosters Timer – Off by default
DOOMFIST
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Hand Cannon UI – On by default
- Hold To Use Power Block – Off by default
- Hide Power Block Cancel Text – Off by default
- Hide Rocket Punch Meter – Off by default
- Hide Rocket Punch Cancel Text – Off by default
ORISA
Terra Surge can now be activated by pressing the Ultimate button again
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Hide Fortify Timer – Off by default
- Hold To Use Javelin Spin – Off by default
- Hide Javelin Spin Cancel Text – Off by default
RAMATTRA
Block now respects holding the input through being stunned. Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Toggle Block – Off by default
- Hide Nemesis Form Cancel Text – Off by default
- Relative Aim Sensitivity During Nemesis Form – 100% by default
- Relative Gyro Aim Sensitivity During Nemesis Form – 100% by default (only available on gyro-supported platforms)
- Annihilation Cancel Input – Ability 1 by default
REINHARDT
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Relative Aim Sensitivity During Barrier Field – 100% by default
- Relative Gyro Aim Sensitivity During Barrier Field – 100% by default (only available on gyro-supported platforms)
- Hold To Use Charge – Off by default
- Hide Charge Cancel Text – Off by default
ROADHOG
Added the Hero-Specific Option:
- Hide Whole Hog Timer – Off by default
SIGMA
Gravitic Flux now automatically casts when the timer runs out
WINSTON
Added the Hero-Specific Option:
- Toggle Secondary Fire – Off by default
WRECKING BALL
Pressing the Quick Melee button now cancels Roll
Added the Hero-Specific Option:
- Toggle Quick Melee During Roll
DAMAGE
BASTION
Configuration: Artillery now automatically casts when the timer runs out
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Relative Aim Sensitivity During Reconfigure – 100% by default
- Relative Gyro Aim Sensitivity During Reconfigure – 100% by default (only available on gyro-supported platforms)
CASSIDY
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Hide Deadeye Timer – Off by default
- Hide Deadeye Cancel Text – Off by default
ECHO
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Hold To Use Focusing Beam – Off by default
- Hide Flight Cancel Text – Off by default
- Hide Flight Timer – Off by default
GENJI
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Hold To Use Deflect – Off by default
- Hide Deflect Cancel Text – Off by default
MEI
Cyro-Freeze can now be canceled by pressing the ability’s button again
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Hold To Use Cryo-Freeze – Off by default
- Hide Cyro-Freeze Cancel Text – Off by default
- Hide Cryo-Freeze Timer – Off by default
- Default Ice Wall Rotation – Horizontal by default
- Ice Wall Confirmation Input – Primary Fire by default
PHARAH
Added the Hero-Specific Option:
- Toggle Hover Jets – Off by default
REAPER
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Hold To Use Wraith Form – Off by Default
- Hide Wraith Form Cancel Text – Off by Default
- Shadow Step Confirmation Input – Primary Fire by default
SOMBRA
Added the Hero-Specific Option:
- Toggle Hack – Off by default
SYMMETRA
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Toggle Secondary Fire – Off by default
- Hold To Deploy Sentry Turret – Off by default
- Teleporter and Photon Barrier Confirmation Input – Primary Fire by default
- Default Photon Barrier Rotation – Horizontal by default
- Hide Photon Barrier Timer – Off by default
TORBJÖRN
Added the Hero-Specific Option:
- Hide Overload Timer – Off by default
TRACER
Added the Hero-Specific Option:
- Blink UI – On by default
SUPPORT
BAPTISTE
Automatic Reload setting now reloads when both Primary and Secondary Fire are out of ammo if setting is set to Off
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Default Amplification Matrix Rotation – Horizontal by default
- Amplification Matrix Confirmation Input – Primary Fire by default
BRIGITTE
Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Relative Aim Sensitivity During Barrier Shield – 100% by default
- Relative Gyro Aim Sensitivity During Barrier Shield – 100% by default (only available on gyro-supported platforms)
- Repair Pack UI – On by default
KIRIKO
Overwatch 2 Retail Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Healing Ofuda Cancels Reload – On by default
LIFEWEAVER
Overwatch 2 Retail Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Relative Thorn Volley Aim Sensitivity – 100% by default
- Relative Thorn Volley Gyro Aim Sensitivity – 100% by default (only available on gyro-supported platforms)
- Tree of Life Confirmation Input – Primary Fire by default
LÚCIO
Allow Backwards Wall Ride option now On by default
Hold To Crossfade options changed from Off/On to Off/Hold For Speed/Hold For Heal.
MERCY
Overwatch 2 Retail Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Caduceus Blaster Input – Primary Fire by default
- Relative Caduceus Blaster Aim Sensitivity – 100% by default
- Relative Caduceus Blaster Gyro Aim Sensitivity – 100% by default (only available on gyro-supported platforms)
ZENYATTA
Overwatch 2 Retail Added the Hero-Specific Options:
- Harmony and Discord Orb Cancel Reload – On by default
- Hide Transcendence Timer – Off by default
Overwatch 2 May 9, 2023, retail patch notes are available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. Check the official Blizzard page for more information.
