Summary
- Season 9 of Overwatch 2 has made major changes that have nerfed the popular Phamercy combo, which consisted of Pharah and Mercy working together effectively.
- Pharah's rework in Season 9 has made her more independent on the battlefield, causing Mercy to struggle to keep up with her. This change may hurt Mercy, who is already only ideal in niche situations.
- Some players are celebrating the nerf to the Phamercy combo, as it makes Pharah less dependent on Mercy and allows her to be more of a nuisance to opponents. Mercy players are also happy to no longer have to constantly follow their team's Pharah.
Overwatch 2 has launched Season 9, and some players think the Phamercy combo is finally "dead." As a competitive game, Overwatch 2 constantly changes the game to offer a better experience. Because of these adjustments, the community always finds different synergies between heroes. But some hero combos in Overwatch 2 have become more famous than others.
While there are hero duos like Sigma and Brigitte, Ana and Soldier 76, or Roadhog and Baptiste, Phamercy is an Overwatch 2 combo that has soared above the rest. The reason lies in Mercy's abilities, who stays close to Pharah and turns into her pocket medic by offering healing and increasing her damage output. But with the launch of Season 9, Overwatch 2 has undergone major changes that may feel like a new game, and these tweaks nerfed one of the most annoying Overwatch 2 combos.
According to Twitch streamer Skiesti, Overwatch 2 Season 9 has "killed" the Phamercy combo. She says that the changes have made Pharah more independent on the battlefield, and explains that Mercy now has trouble keeping up with her. While Mercy has a powerful ultimate, the Overwatch 2 streamer points out that the Season 9 adjustments "will hurt her," since the support is already ideal only in niche situations. The start of Season 9 saw Pharah's anticipated rework hit Overwatch 2 servers. According to the developers, the idea behind the rework was to give the hero more power to create individual plays. They also changed her movement from high up to more horizontal, making it easier for Pharah to cover distances quickly.
Overwatch 2 Nerfs Phamercy Combo in Season 9
While the Phamercy combo may be losing its effectiveness, some Overwatch 2 players celebrated the change. Part of them are happy that Pharah is no longer dependent on Mercy to function better, which should make Pharah even more of a nuisance. But Mercy players also viewed the change positively, with some happy that they will no longer have to follow their team's Pharah around constantly during Overwatch 2 matches.
Pharah's rework is one of the Overwatch 2 Season 9 new features, but not the only one. The new season introduced the controversial self-healing passive for DPS heroes and tanks, giving both roles more durability. Another change that sparked discussion within the community was the increase in the heroes' HP pools and the adjustment to the size of projectiles. With so much to explore in Season 9, the coming months will tell if the Phamercy combo has really lost its power.
Overwatch 2
- Released
- August 10, 2023
