Sombra Rework – Why Players Hate It
Reworking or balancing characters is a crucial part of any competitive game. This is to ensure that everything plays fair as much as possible. Also, that no single hero or character is far above the ensemble that it ruins the game. Yes, players now understand that reworking their favorite characters is a necessity to keep a particular game afloat. However, there are some instances where the changes are just so drastic that they effectively alter the identity of a beloved character. And trust me, doing just that could get developers in hot fire against the very player base it serves. Such is the case with the proposed Sombra rework in Overwatch 2.
The Controversial Sombra Rework
Blizzard’s development team has been discussing necessary improvements for classic characters in Overwatch 2, as players eagerly await Season 6. Although the update for Sombra may appear distant, the developers have confirmed that they have been closely observing the notorious stealth hacker.
Sombra has always presented a challenge for players to master. However, skilled Overwatch 2 players have effectively utilized her skill to disable enemies’ abilities. While she is an intriguing DPS option within a team, Sombra suffers from one of the lowest survival rates in modes like solo-queue Ranked Play. To the minds of Blizzard, something has to change, and so they tried.
During discussions about the latest updates in Overwatch 2, Lead Hero Designer Alec Dawson hinted that Sombra’s rework would enhance her lethality. They will reportedly be shifting the focus to her damage capabilities rather than her stealth abilities. However, this change might introduce some limitations to her ability to escape dangerous situations. Simply put, they want to alter how players use Sombra with this proposed rework.
How Fans Received the Information
The rework did not sit well with Sombra fans worldwide. In fact, saying that players have received this information with mixed feelings feels like an understatement. They hated it. It is true that Sombra consistently struggles to get enough kills as a DPS character. However, fans just aren’t convinced that taking out a part of her identity is the way to fix this.
Take this statement from a passionate Reddit user (Cybernetic Cataclysm) for example. “I basically started playing Overwatch because of Sombra’s backstory and her abilities. I have had so much fun going invisible and tricking people with her translocator since day one to this current rework. For them to have the audacity to rework one of her abilities or more and make her a basic generic shooter character is upsetting.”
In the meantime, Jared Neuss, the Executive Producer of Overwatch 2, acknowledged that the reworks for both Roadhog and Sombra would not be implemented in the upcoming season but rather in Season 7. Neuss confirmed that there are exciting developments taking place, but no specific dates were provided.
