Overwatch 2 Devs Already Considering Mauga Rework Months After His Release

Mauga has continuously caused havoc in the Overwatch 2 meta since his release, prompting the developers to contemplate a complete overhaul of his abilities in order to transform him into a more suitable dive tank.

Initially, Mauga was labeled as a “pay-to-win”Hero upon his release. It was believed that without him unlocked, winning the game was impossible. Despite being nerfed enough to move past the previous Mauga vs. Mauga stalemate, this Tank remains a subject of controversy.

Even though it won’t be released until December 2023, the developers of Overwatch 2 are already discussing potential changes to certain aspects of the game’s Tank character, in order to alter his identity.

According to Alec Dawson, Lead Gameplay Designer for Overwatch 2, the team is currently exploring ways to rebalance his kit by making changes to both his Cardiac Overdrive ability and incendiary bullets.

“During an interview with Spilo, Dawson stated that they are considering some long-term plans for Mauga. While there may be minor adjustments in the meantime, the focus is on potentially enhancing the Cardiac Overdrive ability. Dawson mentioned previous experiments and the possibility of taking bigger steps in this regard.”

The ability of Cardiac Overdrive allows Mauga to enhance the defense of allies by reducing damage taken and providing healing through dealing damage. It would be logical to modify this ability if the goal is to transform Mauga into a dive tank.

“We are evaluating his ability to set squishies on fire and considering how we can incorporate that effectiveness into other aspects of his kit.”

“Therefore, we are also exploring this option, as I believe it would provide him with a greater sense of accomplishment when strategically using certain characters to defeat enemies, without the need to repeatedly shoot them before achieving success.”

For Mauga to ignite his opponent, he currently requires landing 10 shots with his incendiary gun. While this is relatively easy to achieve against Tanks, it proves to be a challenge when facing smaller Heroes.

Trying to set a mobile hero like Tracer, Moira, or Mercy on fire can be extremely challenging due to their small hitbox. In that case, it may be more effective to target the tank instead.

Dawson alluded to this during the interview, stating that while Mauga’s play rate and pick rate may not be particularly high in most ranks, he excels in “coordinated environments.”In simpler terms, he remains highly skilled in high-level ranked and professional play.

If Mauga’s nerfs are reversed in order to assist him against smaller Heroes, he will once again be able to quickly defeat tanks. Therefore, a solution must be found to make him more efficient and user-friendly without overpowering higher ranks.

The development team will need to devise an innovative solution that goes beyond simply adjusting numbers and implementing buffs/nerfs.

The developers of Overwatch 2 have announced their plans to implement a series of tank buffs in Season 11 and continue them into Season 12, indicating that changes for Mauga may be seen in the near future.