Overwatch 2 Devs Reveal Pink Mercy Skin Has Skyrocketed Hero’s Pick Rate

The developers of Overwatch 2 have disclosed that the Pink Mercy skin has significantly increased the hero’s selection rate, despite not receiving any actual enhancements.

One highly anticipated event during Season 11 was the reappearance of Pink Mercy, which had been requested by the community for years. In 2024, it made a comeback for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, once again serving as a fundraising tool.

As the returning skin draws in more players, you may have also noticed a significant increase in the number of players choosing Mercy. This is not a coincidence, as one of the developers of Overwatch 2 has confirmed that the popularity of the skin has caused a sharp rise in the hero’s pick rate.

During a recent interview with Spilo, an Overwatch 2 streamer and coach, Lead Gameplay designer Alec Dawson discussed the impact of hero balances on pick rates. He expressed surprise at the recent rise in Mercy’s pick rates across all game modes.

Dawson chuckled as he remarked to Spilo, “Even in ranked matches, we’re seeing the ‘return of the Pink Mercy’ effect.”He continued, “It’s becoming apparent that there’s a surge in the number of Mercy players, not just in Quick Play, but in Competitive as well.”

Despite Dawson not providing specific numbers on Mercy’s pick rates, the significant increase can be observed in Overwatch 2 stat trackers such as Overbuff.

In contrast to the previous quarterly period, Mercy’s pick rate in Ranked on PC has skyrocketed from 5.66% to an astonishing 12.47%. This places her as the top choice for players, surpassing even popular meta supports such as Kiriko and Lucio.

Despite being in high Elo ranks, we continue to witness the Pink Mercy effect. In Master, Mercy’s pick rates have increased from 5.70% to 16.31% in comparison to the previous quarterly period.

Not only is Mercy dominating the in-game pick rate, but her skin is also in high demand, so much so that it even landed Overwatch 2 on Steam’s top sellers list.