Overwatch 2 Developers Suggest Hazard Changes Amid Console Hero Challenges

Overwatch 2 experienced a relatively successful launch for its latest hero, Hazard. However, a notable disparity in win rates between PC and console players has prompted developers to consider possible adjustments.

Season 14 introduced Hazard, a brand-new Tank hero built for aggressive, backline engagements. As a dive tank, Hazard adds much-needed diversity to the tank line-up—a role that has often seemed underappreciated in the game’s ecosystem. His launch has generally been well-received within the PC gaming community.

Aaron Keller, the director of Overwatch 2, indicated that during the initial playtest, Hazard maintained a win rate of about 50%, which improved to between 55% and 56% at the time of his official launch, depending on the competitive rank. The game’s developers typically target higher win rates for new heroes, so this upward trajectory was an encouraging sign for Hazard’s reception.

Disparity in Hazard’s Win Rate: PC vs. Console

Despite Hazard’s positive reception on PC, the console community saw a concerning dip in his win rates. This is not uncommon as differences in aiming mechanics between platforms can lead to variances in hero performance. Consequently, hero viability can fluctuate significantly based on the system used for play.

Keller noted in a recent blog post that before a recent balance update, Hazard’s win rate on console platforms was approximately 3-4% lower than on PC. “This is sometimes the reality for heroes with leaping mechanics in Overwatch 2, as we have previously observed with Winston,” he explained.

Given Hazard’s reliance on significant aiming maneuvers during his leaps, a lower win rate on console seems inevitable. However, it’s important to highlight that even with a 3-4% reduction from his 55-56% win rate, Hazard’s performance would still be comfortably above the average threshold of 51%. Compared to data from competitive gaming stat sites like Overbuff, this position is quite favorable.

Recently, Hazard underwent a minor hotfix that increased the cost of his Ultimate ability, making it uncertain how this will affect his performance on either platform moving forward.

Should the developers implement adjustments to enhance Hazard’s effectiveness on consoles, such modifications are likely to be specific to that platform. The Overwatch series has a precedent for such tailored changes, as demonstrated during Ana’s introduction, where a “friendly aim assist strength” slider was introduced to optimize healing for console players.

While any potential changes to Hazard will likely seek to balance his performance, it’s essential to note that they may not exclusively target console users.

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