Overwatch 2 Season 16: Perk Changes & Tracer Nerf Revealed

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Summary

  • New Perks are being added for Sombra, Mercy, and Juno in Overwatch 2 Season 16.
  • Tracer’s Flashback Major Perk will be nerfed for balance in the upcoming update.
  • Mei will receive a new Major Perk to freeze enemies.

In the upcoming Season 16 of Overwatch 2, some tweaks to the Perks system are anticipated, such as fresh options for Sombra, Mercy, Juno, and Mei, along with a weakening of one of Tracer’s strongest selections. These modifications and others will be rolled out during the Overwatch 2 Season 16 update scheduled for April 22.

In Season 15 of Overwatch 2, a novel system called Perks was launched, allowing each hero to dynamically enhance their abilities in combat. For instance, Ana can utilize “Double Nano” Shrike, while Bastion gets Lindholm Explosives. However, it’s been confirmed that Overwatch 2 plans to tweak and eventually replace the Perks system in the future, based on its popularity and performance, in order to keep it engaging and exciting.

As Season 16 approaches, we’re nearly ready to roll out the first significant wave of changes to the Perks in Overwatch 2. In a recent update from the director, Alec Dawson, the new associate director, shared some upcoming Perk swaps for less popular choices. Sombra’s Major Perk, Stack Overflow, is being replaced with Viral Replication, which allows Virus to infect more enemies. Mercy’s Minor Perk, Angelic Recover, is being exchanged for Angelic Resurrection, a skill that gives 100 extra health when used to resurrect. Unlike Sombra and Mercy, Juno will see multiple Perk changes. The Major Perk Re-Boots will replace the Hyper Boost Minor Perk, while the new Locked On Major Perk will decrease the cooldown of Pulsar Torpedoes for each enemy hit.

Perk Changes in Overwatch 2 Season 16

  • Sombra
    • New Major Perk: Viral Replication – Virus spreads to nearby enemies.
    • Replacing Stack Overflow (Double Hack duration, reduce distance)
  • Mercy
    • New Minor Perk: Angelic Resurrection – Grants 100 Overhealth to Mercy when using Resurrect
    • Replacing Angelic Recovery (Heal Mercy when beam is attached to a full-health target)
  • Juno
    • New Major Perk: Locked On – Reduces Pulsar Torpedo cooldown for each enemy hit
    • Replacing Re-Boots (Glide Duration increased and resets double jump)
    • Re-Boots now a Minor Perk, replacing Hyper Boost (Glide Boosting through Hyper Ring pushes Juno forward)
  • Tracer
    • Flashback Major Perk (restore Blink charges after Recall) nerfed
  • Mei
    • New Major Perk that allows Mei to freeze enemies

Unfortunately, rather than enhancing some heroes’ abilities, developers are instead making adjustments to decrease the power of certain perks they currently have. For instance, despite not preferring this approach frequently, Tracer’s Flashback Major Perk – one of the most effective perks in Overwatch 2 – is being modified to reduce its significant impact.

In this upcoming update, it’s clear that there will be additional modifications to Perk settings. Although Dawson didn’t disclose all the alterations, he did suggest that Mei could obtain a fresh Major Perk in Overwatch 2 Season 16. This new Perk might enable her to freeze enemies, much like she could in the original game, mirroring how Hanzo and Orisa can replicate previous abilities such as Scatter Arrow and Orisa’s Protective Barrier respectively. Players will have to wait until the patch goes live on April 22 to discover any other adjustments made to the Perk system.

For enthusiasts seeking an exhilarating spin on hero gear, they won’t have to search any longer, as Stadium, a fresh game mode, is set to debut in Season 16 of Overwatch 2. This best-of-seven confrontation offers a third-person camera perspective, powers and items that significantly alter each character’s playstyle round by round, and exclusive maps tailored for Stadium. These unique features guarantee a gaming experience unlike any fans have encountered before.

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2025-04-17 00:05