Overwatch players want to keep the changes made to D.Va’s ultimate ability on April Fool’s Day. As a live service game, the developers at Blizzard frequently update Overwatch and adjust the balance of its hero characters. These updates could be additional maps, modes, or even new skins for heroes. Updates that don’t balance patches usually come around recurring events such as Winter Wonderland or the Summer Games. Others come with surprise events like the special Pachimari event that gave Roadhog a skin themed after the fictional UFO toy. Other special skins have been to celebrate certain Overwatch League MVPs; however, Blizzard has recently announced that it will no longer be making skins for Overwatch League contestants after Sinatraa (who had a unique Zarya skin) was accused of sexual assault.
For April Fools’ Day this year, Blizzard decided to change several characters. Mei, for example, was reassigned from the damage role to tank with an increase in size by 15% and a maximum health boost from 250 to 400. Bastion, on the other hand, was reduced in size by 15%, and their weapon spread was reduced. Soldier 76’s Sprint ability was changed to accumulate ammo for every second the ability was active, and his Tactical Visor ultimate ability was altered to prioritize headshots.
Fans of Overwatch want Blizzard to permanently keep the April Fools’ change to D.Va’s ultimate ability, according to a report from Dexerto. Normally, D.Va’s Eject ultimate ability launches her out of her mech and into the air as her mech self-destructs. Then, D.Va must go on without her mech, equipped with only a pistol and drastically decreased maximum health. The second stage of her ultimate, Call Mech, has the mech slam onto the ground so D.Va can get back inside.
The April Fools’ update changed the Call Mech ability to deal 600 damage on impact instead of the usual 50. This change could take out competitors with even the meatiest players like Roadhog or even almost cancel out Winston’s Primal Rage ultimate ability, which increases his health to 850 points. The change also decreases the amount of time it takes for D.Va to recall her mech by 30%.
Live service games live and die by the quality and frequency of their updates. Most of the changes that would usually come to Overwatch have been put on the back burner while Blizzard develops Overwatch 2. Funny patches like this are good ways to keep the game from getting too stale.
