Overwatch 2’s S13 Baptiste Buffs Criticized for “Catering to New Players”

<p>The recent buffs to Baptiste in Overwatch 2’s Season 13 have increased this support hero’s damage potential, prompting discussions among players about whether Blizzard has pushed these changes too far.

Released on October 15, Season 13 introduced a variety of hero adjustments, among which was a significant enhancement for Baptiste.

Specifically, the developers decreased the recoil on Baptiste’s Biotic Launcher by 30%, enabling players to deliver successive burst shots with greater ease.

The reasoning behind this adjustment, as noted in the patch notes, was to minimize the fatigue associated with managing recoil during lengthy gameplay sessions, rather than primarily increasing Baptiste’s damage output.

Nevertheless, the community reaction to this modification has been largely negative. Many players believed that Baptiste was already performing strongly prior to these adjustments and that the buffs were unnecessary.

What is that Baptiste change? pic.twitter.com/LkIQ59usJz

— Awkward (@awkwardOW) October 15, 2024

Well-known Overwatch 2 support streamer ‘Awkward‘ expressed his grievances about this change, likening Baptiste’s capabilities to that of a third damage dealer.

“I’m baffled by these changes. The previous version of Baptiste was already effective,” he remarked. “He essentially functions like a third DPS. His damage output surpasses that of many traditional DPS heroes. The recoil added a level of difficulty to landing shots, but this update seems targeted at less skilled players. Whenever Blizzard tries to simplify things for newcomers, it generally diminishes the game’s quality.”

Awkward was not alone in his shock over the adjustments; another user on X remarked, “Baptiste’s buffs are excessive!” while sharing their Play of the Game.

YO THEY BUFF BAPTISTE WAAYYY TOO MUCHH!!! HIS GUN HAS NO RECOIL!!! A LEGIT A LASER BEAM!! pic.twitter.com/WGNFsH431L

— 𝓤𝓶𝓲𝓤𝓼𝓱𝓲 💙 (@ShirexDweller) October 17, 2024

Discussion on Reddit reflected similar sentiments, with many questioning Blizzard’s rationale behind these changes.

“His damage output was already well above the average Support,” one commenter stated. “While it’s okay for Support heroes to have the ability to defend themselves effectively, this is pushing it too far.”

Another user added, “Lowering the skill floor is just as detrimental as lowering the ceiling. Although this change may not drastically affect gameplay, it can enable lower-skilled players to rank up more easily whenever the skill floor is reduced.”

Although it’s still early days in Season 13, the meta is expected to shift as players adapt, especially in competitive play. The Overwatch Champions Series 2024 Finals are set to commence on November 22 at Dreamhack Stockholm, which could lead to additional balance adjustments before the event.

For now, players who main Baptiste can capitalize on the hero’s enhanced firepower, making it the ideal time to maximize their damage output.

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