Overwatch 2 will soon be making changes to Lifeweaver, Mei, and Cassidy, a senior Blizzard official has confirmed. This bit of insight into the free-to-play shooter's roadmap arrived just as one fan discovered an Overwatch 2 bug that may be preventing some players from unlocking heroes.
While Mei and Cassidy have been part of Blizzard's competitive FPS since the original Overwatch launched in mid-2016, Lifeweaver is the latest addition to its successor's character roster, whom the developers released on April 11 at the start of the game's Season 4. And though Overwatch 2's Lifeweaver boasts some fairly unique abilities, the character hasn't seen a lot of play so far, which prompted Blizzard to treat him to multiple buffs and some additional reworks.
Another such change is set to roll out by the end of the week ending July 1, as confirmed by Overwatch 2 Lead Hero Designer Alec Dawson. The developer has recently taken to Twitter to reveal that the incoming patch will provide several small buffs to Lifeweaver's Thorn Volley, adding that this isn't the last improvement to the little-played hero that Blizzard is planning in the foreseeable future. The update will mark Lifeweaver's second buff during Overwatch 2 Season 5 and his third such boost overall.
The same patch will also rebalance the crowd control capabilities of some popular DPS heroes' kits, with Mei's Endothermic Blaster being set to receive a damage buff alongside a nerf to its slowdown effect. Meanwhile, Cassidy's Magnetic Grenade will see a slight reduction to its homing duration and seeking radius, Dawson said. The developer also revealed that more balancing changes are planned for July, when the recently begun Overwatch 2 Season 5 will be in full swing.
Blizzard's mid-season hotfixes have historically had varying degrees of impact on the game's meta, making it difficult to predict how this incoming patch might affect the free-to-play shooter. But as far as Lifeweaver goes, a small damage boost to his alternate fire is unlikely to help the hero find his way into most players' good graces. For that to happen, Blizzard would plausibly need to design a major rework for Overwatch 2's Lifeweaver.
As for what's next for the hit shooter, the developer previously confirmed that the game's sixth season will start on August 10, which is also the date when its 38th hero is scheduled to drop. Much like Lifeweaver, the yet-to-be-revealed character will be a Support hero, which is still the most underrepresented Overwatch 2 class, accounting for less than a quarter of the game's roster. Blizzard will afterward focus on the shooter's 12th Tank hero, who is currently waiting for a reveal and release date announcement.
Overwatch 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.