Hero shooter Overwatch 2 by Blizzard Entertainment is to make some changes to the hero Sombra after she had a high ban rate in the game’s Competitive Play mode. These latest changes are consistent with the devs’ continuing process of balancing out the roster of heroes, especially for one that has previously been reworked a number of times since the game came out.
Recent statistics have showcased Sombra as the flat-out most banned hero on all platforms. Her ban rate stands at an outrageous 85% on PC, and increasing even further to a dominant 93% on consoles. Both of these figures emphatically illustrate a general opinion of players towards the current effectiveness and presumed influence of Sombra on competitive integrity. The ongoing application of hero bans throughout the competitive landscape of Overwatch 2 enables the players to have direct control over the meta by removing heroes they find too problematic or unbearable to deal with. The mechanism, albeit intended to create diversity and player choice, has, in the case of Sombra, acted as an open signal of an enduring balancing issue.
The reasons behind these changes are unknown. But the development team has also assured that those will be nerfs, demonstrating a deliberate desire to tone down Sombra’s strength or alter her kit to curb her oppressive control. With the continued feedback arising from the community, these expected changes are the immediate product of the passion for balance of the competitive scene by the community. Though the exact timing of their deployment still needs to be sorted out, it is hoped that such significant updates can be rolled out as soon as Season 17, which launches on June 24. Both players and commentators will be eagerly observing to see how these changes pan out, attempting to achieve the optimal balance for Sombra and the competitive game in general.
