Overwatch Patch May 12, 2026
Today · 22 heroes changed · Full patch notes ↗
Win rate impact data is not available for this patch.
Balance Changes
Regenerative Burst’s long cooldown limited its availability during fights. Reducing the cooldown and increasing its healing output allows Baptiste to more reliably support himself and his team during engagements.
- Instant healing increased from 40 to 50.
- Healing over time increased from 40 to 50.
- Cooldown reduced from 14 to 12 seconds.
- Added a custom UI element showing how many allies are currently being healed by Inspire.
- This UI element can be toggled on/off in Brigitte's Hero Options.
Doomfist has been struggling in Stadium, so we're improving the damage and survivability of some of his core powers and some underutilized options. We're also treating his Passive similarly to many non-scaling Barriers, where they will naturally scale over time from currency.
- [The Best Defense] now scales proportionally with the Passive Health Gain from Currency.
- Cooldown reduced to 8s (Down from 10s).
- Ally Healing increased to 20% (Up from 15%).
- Overhealth Max Life Scaling increased to 10% (Up from 8%).
- Level 3 Punch Bonus Damage increased to 50% (Up from 25%).
- Bonus damage increased to 20 (Up from 10).
This change reduces Micro Missiles’ effectiveness at quickly eliminating lower maximum health targets, lowering D.Va’s assassination potential.
- Impact damage reduced from 3 to 2.
Emre’s ability to sustain while applying consistent close‑range pressure was exceeding intended levels. Reducing Siphon Blaster’s healing conversion lowers survivability. Cyber Frag’s minimum radius has also been reduced to require greater precision to get maximum value.
- Healing conversion reduced from 80% to 60%.
- Radius of maximum explosion damage reduced from 2 to 1.5 meters.
We're reducing the consistency of Freja's Machine Gun build by requiring her to play closer to her enemies to get full value from her powers.
- Decreased Currency from Healing and Damage by 5%.
- Spread of extra bolts increased by 66%.
- Max Life Healing reduced to 4% (Down from 6%).
While Illari remains a strong offensive support, Solar Rifle’s base projectile size was too large relative to the damage output. Removing the additional base projectile size better aligns the weapon’s accuracy with other hitscan heroes.
- Base projectile size reduced from 0.05 to 0.
- Hitscan Global Projectile Size Bonus still applies (0.07).
Cat.
- When [Purr] ends, all other allies within [Purr]'s radius gain Overhealth equal to 40% of damage dealt during [Purr] and 10% to yourself for 3s.
- [Purr] persists 15% longer for each ally or enemy currently affected by [Purr], up to 75%. Amount of healing pulses resets every 4 pulses.
- Enemies within your [Purr] take damage equal to 30% of its healing.
- [Lifeline] can tether to 1 additional ally.
- Ability: [Lifeline] tethers an explosive Toy Ball, that explodes for up to 100 (AP) damage on impact. (6s Cooldown).
- When you release a target from [Lifeline] or [Catnapper], restore 20% Fuel. Restore 1% Fuel for every 10 Ability Damage dealt.
- Ability: Your next [Quick Melee] deals 40 damage over 3s and increases [Quick Melee] Attack Speed by 100% for 1s (12s Cooldown).
- While [Frenetic Flight] is active, [Purr]'s cooldown refreshes 40% faster and all other ability cooldowns refresh 80% faster.
- After activating [Frenetic Flight] for 0.5s, next time you collide with an enemy, explode for up 120 damage and restore up to 40% fuel based on distance travelled.
- While [Purr] is active, shoot both guns. The bonus shot deals 25% damage.
- When hitting an ally with [Biotic Pawjectiles], it bounces to 1 nearby ally within 5m at 25% effectiveness.
- +25% Starting Ultimate Charge. [Catnapper] scratches enemies on impact, slowing them and dealing 150 damage over 3s.
- 5% Ability Power
- 10% Melee Damage
- [Quick Melee] damage Slows enemies by 10% and Reveals them for 3s.
- 4000 Cost
- 15% Attack Speed
- While [Purr] is active, restore 20% Max Ammo every 1s.
- 11000 Cost
- 25 Shields
- 5% Ability Power
- When an ally is released from [Lifeline], they gain 30% Move Speed for 3s.
- 4000 Cost
- 10% Ability Power
- 40% [Purr] Radius
- 10000 Cost
- +25 Armor
- +50% [Purr] Knockback Power
- [Purr] Knockback Damage slows enemies by 30% for 3s.
- 3750 Cost
- 50 Health
- While [Lifeline] is active, gain 1% Ultimate Charge for every ally tethered and grant 20 Overhealth to them, up to 100, every 1s.
- 9000 Cost
- 25 Shields
- 25% [Frenetic Flight] Fuel
- 10000 Cost
With limited defensive mitigation, Junker Queen struggles to sustain during extended engagements. This adjustment increases the reward for successfully applying Wounds and reinforces her aggressive playstyle.
- (5v5 only) Wound damage self-healing multiplier increased from 2.25x to 2.5x.
Protection Suzu offers strong defensive utility across many scenarios. Removing the additional healing on cleanse lowers its burst healing potential.
- Additional healing after negative status cleanse removed (was 30).
- Passive self-healing penalty is now correctly at 60% (was 70%).
Mercy’s Season 2 mobility reduction had an outsized impact on her core gameplay flow. Restoring Guardian Angel’s base functionality reestablishes that feel, while removing Divine Momentum addresses the extreme mobility cases that motivated the original change.
- Removed.
- New.
- Guardian Angel's range is increased by 30%.
- Launch speed increased by 10%. (Reverted to previous value)
Allowing Kekkai Sanctuary to absorb projectiles from both directions improves clarity and creates meaningful interactions when enemies push inside the barrier. Healing and duration have been reduced to offset the additional defensive value.
- Now absorbs enemy projectiles exiting the Sanctuary in addition to enemy projectiles entering the Sanctuary.
- Healing over time reduced from 50/s to 40/s.
- Duration reduced from 7 to 6 seconds.
Pharah’s recent damage‑focused perks have improved her kill potential, but their combined consistency has pushed her burst damage too high and are being reduced.
- Damage reduced from 50 to 30.
- Damage reduced per rocket from 40 to 30.
- Cooldown is now visible while Nemesis Form is active.
This is a mini rework designed to give Reaper a more potent anti-air build option, especially with the introduction of the Cat to the roster.
- Reworked to "[Dire Triggers] deals 30(AP) additional damage over 3s to Airborne enemies and to enemies beyond 8m."
- New.
- After use an ability or reloading, refresh cooldown of [Dire Triggers].
- Removed.
To Me, My Friends has been overperforming, granting too much output for how easy to use and consistent it is. We're tuning down the effectiveness to better match its execution burden.
- Barrier Healing per 1s decreased to 3% of Max Life (Down from 5%).
- Weapon fire volume reduced.
This interaction of Powers combined with Double Helix has proven to be out of bounds, so we're limiting how much Overhealth this setup grants to be more in line with Soldier: 76's other Power options.
- Applied reduced effectiveness of Biotic Fields spawned via Hunker Down (50%) to Overhealth.
Vendetta's nerfs in Core have caused her to underperform in Stadium so we're bumping up her currency gain to be more in line with other Damage heroes.
- Increased Currency gain from Healing and Damage by 5%.
The burst damage of Paindrops has been an outlier, so we're shaving off a bit of damage here.
- Bonus Orb Damage decreased to 30% (Down from 40%).
- Cooldown reduced to 10s (Down from 15s).
Zenyatta's survivability has been an outlier among the supports, so we're reducing some of his self healing capabilities.
- Healing from damage dealt decreased to 20% (Down from 30%).