Blizzard implemented experimental changes to their tanks in the February 25 update, and players are loving Zarya’s retooled kit for more than just its abilities.
The patch brought in an Experimental mode with a “Triple Damage” rule change which gave tanks a major alteration to their kits, giving them much needed survivability in the three-DPS playlist.
While it remains to be seen if any of the trends used in Experimental mode will eventually make it out to the main game, players are loving the fact that this mode is a complete change of pace for Blizzard and their approach to retooling Overwatch.
Since the confines of the Experimental mode gives the developers a safe space to trail new concepts, Zarya is a prime example for how these out-of-the-box ideas can resonate with the community.
In Triple Damage, her Particle Barrier now gives “all allies within eight meters of your target” the same protection when casting it on a teammate – even increasing the duration from two seconds to three.
A quick clip by Reddit user ‘andygmb’ showed the revamped ability in action just before a match was set to start.
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Though it might seem like just another upgrade to her ability, it’s a sizable leap to how Blizzard have approached hero balances in the past – and the community were impressed by the strides the devs were making.
“I gotta be honest, just the fact that they [Blizzard] are going OUT THERE with some of these ideas is amazing,” user ‘BillyBean11111’ said. “Overwatch has been hindered by slow progress and indecision since it’s creation. Lets go fucking nuts, try some shit out.”
Some people expressed concerns with a 1-3-2 meta where there’s three DPS players, two supports and one tank to spearhead the frontline.
While this ability for Zarya makes the Projected Barrier look OP, tanks are going to need these kinds of changes if they’re expected to keep the entire team safe by themselves.
The early goings of the Experimental mode might not make it to the official Overwatch game modes, but it’s refreshing to see Blizzard try out overhauls to their game in some capacity.
