As a Mercy Main, I’m Already Mourning Overwatch 2’s Next Midseason Patch

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I can play any role in Overwatch 2, and I’m particularly good with Reinhardt and Reaper. However, I enjoy playing Support the most, mainly because of Mercy. The pressure of performing well as a Tank or Damage dealer can be stressful, especially since I don’t play Overwatch 2 consistently and sometimes feel out of practice. With Mercy, I can still play effectively even when I’m rusty, because skills like superjumps and strategic revives come naturally to me. Despite having over 500 hours playing her, I know Mercy needs some updates, but I don’t expect to see them in Season 19.

What’s Wrong With Overwatch 2’s Mercy?

Mercy has received a lot of cool skins recently, which is great, but the gameplay itself hasn’t been very satisfying. She’s always been a bit weak at higher skill levels because she’s designed to be a beginner-friendly Support hero, similar to how Soldier: 76 is easy for new DPS players to pick up. Playing Mercy feels risky because her impact on a fight is limited. You’re constantly hoping your teammate will make good use of the damage boost, and while a strong offensive Mercy can do well for a short time, it’s rarely enough to win consistently at Diamond rank and above. Ultimately, Mercy is often seen as a Support hero who doesn’t offer enough value, which is why I’ve been playing her less often.

Sombra is still the hero most often banned in Overwatch 2, but a significant number of players immediately ban Mercy, even if someone on their team wants to play her. These players believe Mercy isn’t strong enough to make impactful plays, which makes it difficult for dedicated Mercy players to compete. While I can switch to other support heroes like Illari and Kiriko, many players only play Mercy, and these bans prevent them from playing at all. It’s strange because these players would rather have a Mercy player use a different hero they aren’t familiar with than let them play the character they’ve mastered.

I really enjoy playing Mercy – her movement is fun, and I like keeping an eye on the battlefield for my team. However, it’s hard to ignore that she doesn’t have much ability to directly impact a fight’s outcome. While her pistol can sometimes win a duel, in team battles she mostly just heals and hopes her team does well. Mercy needs a boost, and many players suggest making her Flash Heal ability permanent, replacing it with a new power. This change, along with a stronger ability, could give Mercy the impact she needs to change how people see her and stop them from immediately banning her. Unfortunately, I don’t expect to see changes like that anytime soon.

In Overwatch 2, Mercy’s Flash Heal ability instantly restores 150 health to the ally she’s currently healing, which can be very useful when a teammate is under heavy attack.

Why Mercy is Unlikely to Change For the Better in Season 19’s Upcoming Patch

Mercy hasn’t received any significant updates in Overwatch 2 for the past two months. Neither the Season 19 launch nor subsequent smaller patches included any changes to her gameplay, either in standard matches or the Stadium game mode. This lack of attention is disappointing, as many players feel she needs adjustments. While it’s frustrating to see her overlooked, it might have been better than the changes made in August, when a powerful strategy for Mercy in Stadium was removed.

The last update Mercy received outside of the Stadium changes happened in August, when the Winged Reach perk was replaced with Divine Momentum.

Although Crespular Circle was popular and made Mercy appear in almost every Stadium match, removing it and forcing players to use less desirable builds felt like a mistake. I believe this build was actually a good fit for Mercy, offering moments of strong offensive capability alongside her regular support role. Each Ultimate activation increased her allies’ damage and healing, all while allowing Mercy to move freely and attack enemies – it was simply enjoyable to play. This made her a welcome teammate, rather than one players avoided. While Stadium encouraged a very different playstyle for Mercy, it offered players who enjoy both core game modes of Overwatch 2 the chance to experience two distinct versions of the same hero.

Ever since the changes to Mercy’s Stadium, I’ve gone from enjoying the climb to All-Star to quickly losing interest once I reach Elite. In regular competitive matches, my team often bans Mercy immediately, so I can only play her about half the time. It’s frustrating being a Mercy player right now – I either have to switch to a hero I don’t like or risk facing criticism from my teammates before the match even starts. Even when I play well, I worry that it won’t be enough, because Mercy doesn’t have the same game-changing impact as other supports. My team shouldn’t have to deal with me playing a hero that feels weak, but she shouldn’t be so weak compared to others. I’m hoping the upcoming midseason update for Overwatch 2 will improve Mercy’s gameplay, not just give her new skins, but it’s hard to stay hopeful since Blizzard hasn’t made any changes to her in weeks.

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2025-11-06 02:08