Overwatch 2 May 29 patch notes

Overwatch 2’s May 29 patch notes include balance changes for several heroes, including tweaks to their items in Stadium.

One major addition that was added to Overwatch 2 Season 16 is none other than Stadium, an all-new mode where you get to experiment with different abilities and items for each hero to make the most effective builds.

Although the mode plays out very differently than regular Quick Play and Competitive, which we’re all familiar with, it also occasionally receives balance changes to spice things up.

Blizzard has rolled out a new balance update on May 29, 2025 including buffs, nerfs, and changes on several heroes in Stadium. Here’s everything you need to know about all of them to keep you in the loop.

Overwatch 2 May 29 update patch notes

Following the addition of Freja in the previous update, the newest May 29 hotfix has given the new DPS hero several nerfs to her kit. 

On the other hand, Ashe, Junker Queen, Orisa, Ana and Juno have all received some more love, while Reinhardt and Soldier 76, among the others, were adjusted.

In addition to these, developers have also added bug fixes to smooth out the experience. Check out the complete list of changes below.

Damage

Ashe

Out with a Bang – Power

• Decreased Explosives damage reduction to 30% (Down from 66%).

Molten Munitions – Power

• Increased damage to 80 (Up from 50).
• This change will not be represented correctly on the tooltip but it will be functionally set to 80. This information in the tooltip will be fixed next season.

Reload Therapy – Power

• Increased heal to 10% (Up from 3%).

Sidewinder – Epic Weapon Hero Item

• Increased attack speed to 15% (Up from 10%).
• Increased damage to 25% (Up from 15%).

Developer Comments: Developer Comments: Ashe has been steadily climbing in overall competitiveness, but she’s still missing that extra oomph when the moment calls for it. These buffs target some of her underperforming powers and items, giving her more flexibility across different builds and helping her stay impactful in a wider range of scenarios.

Freja

Lille Fælde – Power Re-enabled

• Bola from Lille Fælde slow is decreased by 60%.
• Bola from Lille Fælde no longer pulls enemies upon direct hit.
• These will be reflected in the tooltip in a future update.

So Cooked – Power

• Decreased increased damaging zone damage to 30% (down from 50%).
• Decreased increased damaging zone duration to 2 second (down from 3 second).

Deep Pockets – Power

• Max Ammo restored from using an ability reduced to 25% (down from 50%).

Forager – Power

• Max Life heal per hit increased to 4% (up from 3%).

Portable Zipline – Epic Weapon Hero Item

• Decreased Weapon Power to 5% (down from 15%).

Volley a Deux – Power

• Increased damage to 33% reduced damage on additional bolts (up from 50% reduced).

Magnetic Maelstrom – Epic Ability Hero Item

Mei

Blizznado – Power

• Increased Heal per second to 15% (up from 5%).

Developer Comments: We’re looking to enhance Mei’s survivability in moments where Cryo-Freeze isn’t available by improving the synergy with Blizzard effects. This adjustment should give Mei more defensive value during her ultimate or mini-Blizzard, allowing her to better sustain herself in skirmishes and maintain pressure.

Soldier 76

Hunker Down – Power

• Increased Biotic Field duration to 50% reduced duration (up from 30% reduced).

Chaingun – Power

• Decreased Weapon Power per shot to 0.4% (down from 0.5%).

Battery Pack – Rare Ability Hero Item

• Increased Biotic Field Duration to 40% (up from 30%).

Rapid Response Radius – Epic Ability Hero Item

• Increased Biotic Field radius to 40% (up from 30%).

Compression Fatigues – Rare Survival Hero Item

• Removed 5% Attack Speed.
• Added 5% Ability Power.

Developer Comments: Biotic Field builds have been unpopular and underperforming, so we’re adding some additional firepower there. Chaingun has been very prevalent in all types of Weapon Power builds for Soldier, so we’re tuning it down a bit to allow for some more variety.

Tank

D.Va

Focused Fusion – Power

• Decreased Fusion Cannon spread to 50% (Down from 66%).

Ignition Burst – Power

• Increased Lava damage to 80 (Up from 30).

Vesuvius Protocol – Rare Ability Hero Item

• Increased Lava damage to 80 (Up from 30).

Developer Comments: D.Va’s been having a hard time asserting space effectively, especially when trying to control key areas. Buffing Lava should help her create more threatening zones and discourage enemies from waltzing into her turf uninvited. As for Focused Fusion—the concept was solid, but in practice it struggled to keep up when enemies were practically doing laps around her. We’re adjusting just a bit, so it doesn’t feel like D.Va brought a sniper rifle to a knife fight but still have the ability to hit enemies from near and far.

Junker Queen

Royal Bullets – Power

• Increased range to 15 meters (Up from 12 meters).
• Increased damage to 50 (Up from 30).

Twist The Knife – Power

• Increased Wounds extension to 1 second (Up from 0.5 seconds).

Blade Parade – Power

• Increased Damage to 100% (Up from 35%).
• Merciless Magnetism – Power

Increased range to 15 meters (Up from 12 meters).

• Thick Skull – Epic Survival Hero Item
• Increased Damage Reduction to 75% (Up from 50%).

Developer Comments: Junker Queen’s axe has been doing most of the heavy lifting lately, leaving her shotgun and knife feeling a bit neglected. This update gives both of those tools some much-needed love to round out her kit and encourage more varied playstyles. We’re also adding a buff to Thick Skull to help her better withstand burst damage, giving her more staying power in fast-paced fights.

Orisa

Scorched Earth – Power

• Increased damage to 20% (Up from 10%).

Electro Lights – Rare Hero Weapon Item

• Increased recovery rate to 50% (Up from 25%).

Developer Comments: Orisa’s Overheat build was underperforming, especially when it came to holding the line against aggressive pushes. It lacked the punch needed to deter advancing enemies or force them to reposition. This buff aims to bolster her ability to apply pressure and make her presence more threatening when anchoring space.

Reinhardt

Barrier Reconstruction – Power

• Increased Barrier Health Restoration from Damage to 15% (up from 10%).

Feeling the Burn – Power

• No longer applies to Smashing and Dampener Grip.

Dampener Grip – Epic Weapon Hero Item

• Increased Ability Power to 15% (up from 10%).

Developer Comments: The interaction between Feeling the Burn and effects that triggered off Rocket Hammer damage proved to be too strong, so we’re removing it while giving some small improvements to some underutilized powers and items.

Support

Ana

Tactical Rifle – Power

• Reduced aim tracking angle by 50%.

Dash Boots – Rare Ability Hero Item

• Increased Movement Speed bonus to 10% (Up from 5%).
• Decreased cooldown to 3 seconds (Down from 4 seconds).

Cluster Core – Epic Ability Hero Item

• Biotic Grenade cooldown is reduced by 2 seconds for each target it hits (up from 1 second).

Developer Comments: We’re aiming to make Ana feel more agile and resilient in mid-range engagements, where she often finds herself most vulnerable. By improving her survivability, these changes should help her better reposition under pressure and stay active in fights without compromising her high-impact support role. 

Tactical Rifle is a well-loved power, but we’ve received consistent feedback that its targeting could feel more like a hindrance than a help. In high-pressure moments, the auto-aim was too frequently locking onto allies instead of enemies, disrupting damage output. We’re refining its behavior to better prioritize threats and ensure it feels like a reliable tool in combat.

Juno

Hyper Healer – Power

• Increased Overhealth to 100 (Up from 50).

Black Hole – Power

• Increased Slow duration to 2 seconds. (Up from 1 second).

Developer Comments: Hyper Ring has seen frequent use in Juno’s kit, but it hasn’t kept pace with the impact of her other powers. We’re giving it a boost to bring it in line with the rest of her options, making it a more competitive pick that rewards smart positioning and timing.

Kiriko

Self-Care – Power

• Increased heal to 15% (Up from 5%).

Developer Comments: Self-Care was falling short in terms of sustain, especially in longer engagements. This buff gives it a more meaningful impact, allowing players to recover more effectively and stay in the fight longer without relying solely on external healing.

Bug Fixes

Stadium

D.Va

• Fixed a bug where Fusion Cannon was shooting less pellets when equipped with the Focused Fusion power.

Freja

• Fixed an issue where the direct hit of the Bola from Lille Fælde was doing more damage than intended.
• Fixed an issue where the lingering damaging zone from So Cooked didn’t apply effects that triggered from Ability Damage.