Blizzard has teased a massive overhaul for existing heroes, with Mercy leading the charge. Expect major perks to be integrated directly into base kits for Mercy, Reaper, and Pharah, alongside a broader rethink for Sombra and several others.

This news dropped via an official developer update posted on the Overwatch website on April 10. The notes focus on the team’s priorities ahead of Season 2, starting with a significant rework of the current hero roster. Specifically, certain perks are being folded into standard abilities, including Mercy’s 'Quick Healing', Reaper’s 'Urgent Trigger', and Pharah’s 'Drift Thruster'.

The developers claim, 'Integrating Mercy’s Quick Healing feels more thematic and dynamic, reducing unnecessary clutter while offering more interesting choices during combat.' They also noted, 'Adding long-range capability to Reaper’s base kit felt essential, and for Pharah, merging the core of the Drift Thruster into her kit allows for movement during Barrage without needing a steep learning curve.' Naturally, visual effects will be tweaked to make Mercy’s 'Quick Healing' more noticeable in the heat of the fray.

Looking further ahead to the second half of the year, the team is weighing up changes for Sombra, Lifeweaver, and Roadhog, with more details expected after Season 3. The current focus is on heroes who have become stagnant or whose playstyles feel outdated compared to the newer additions to the roster.

Beyond hero tweaks, a raft of other updates is on the horizon. Starting in Season 2, the map voting system and competitive ranking calculations are getting a polish. Players will lose less competitive progress when defeated on new or reworked maps. Additionally, map selection will now prioritize community preferences, and if none of the three presented maps tickle your fancy, a 'Random Map' option will be available, alongside icons that indicate the attacking and defending sides ahead of time.

In the long run, the team is rethinking the hero ban system. They aim to provide clearer data during the 'Hero Preference' phase to encourage more tactical picks. They are also considering a '5th Ban' mechanism that sidesteps traditional role limits, allowing both teams to influence the final ban list—a move clearly intended to address long-standing complaints that the current system fails to reflect the player base's true intent.