Revamped Roadhog Joins Overwatch 2 with New Updates and Abilities

Blizzard has made some significant adjustments to Overwatch 2's roster, with the veteran tank hero Roadhog receiving notable tweaks designed to enhance his playability. In a bid to refresh the character, Blizzard unveiled new abilities and modifications for Roadhog via a social media announcement, accompanied by an in-depth Twitch stream with Alec Dawson, the lead hero designer.

The revamp of Roadhog begins with his Scrap Gun; the secondary shot is no longer available, but as a trade-off, the weapon's primary shot now boasts a higher damage rate, increasing from 150 to 160. The firing pattern has also seen changes, with a decrease in pellet scatter and a shift towards firing four hefty pellets centrally for more direct impact. However, there's a downside: the critical hit multiplier has been reduced from 2x to 1.5x, rendering the hook-followed-by-fire-and-melee combination less potent than it was.

Roadhog's self-healing skill, Take A Breather, has been overhauled as well. Reassigned to the secondary fire slot by default, it operates on a recharging meter rather than a cooldown timer, similar to Moira's regenerating healing resource, which refills completely in 12 seconds. This change brings a drawback, though; the ability's damage-reducing effect has been reduced from 50% to 30%, making it tougher for him to withstand heavy attacks like D.Va's explosive ultimate.

Adding a new layer to Roadhog's gameplay is the introduction of Pig Pen, an unprecedented ability that allows him to deploy a damaging and slowing trap. This crowd control instrument is akin to Sojourn's Disrupter Shot or Mei's Blizzard, meant to hinder enemy movements and set up easier kills.

The refresh of Roadhog's kit marks an evolution for the character who had grown somewhat predictable and easier to counter. Previously, abilities such as Ana's Biotic Grenade or Sigma's Accretion could quickly spell doom for the less resilient tank.

Interestingly, the addition of Pig Pen signifies a shift in Blizzard's stance on crowd control. After initially removing such abilities to quicken the pace of Overwatch 2, like Cassidy's Stun Grenade and Mei's freeze effect, the gradual reintroduction points to a re-embrace of crowd control dynamics. With Roadhog's new abilities in place, it's apparent that Blizzard has opted to mix accelerated gameplay with tactical crowd-control strategies, ensuring a diverse and engaging combat experience.