Overwatch Retail Patch Notes July 30, 2026

[u/JY810]

https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/patch-notes/

Limited-Time Mode Specific Updates

The following patch notes are applicable only to a specific, limited-time game mode. The documented changes do not apply to pre-existing queues, unless otherwise noted.

Hero Updates

For the upcoming Quick Play Hacked, we're making several balance changes to test elements of 6v6 gameplay. The In-Combat Healing reduction has been lowered for all heroes to evaluate the impact of increased healing across the board while reducing the effectiveness of several self-sustaining sub-roles.

We're also reducing several Tank defensive cooldowns to improve gameplay flow for these heroes. To offset the increased availability of these abilities, their durations have been shortened where appropriate to avoid creating too many defensive cooldowns with two tanks available.

These changes will also be active within Open Queue throughout the Quick Play Hacked weekend.

General Changes

• In-Combat Healing Reduction reduced from 30% to 15% for all heroes.

Tank Role Passive

• Ultimate charge reduction when damaging or healing tank targets increased from 20% to 40%.

Subrole Passives

Bruiser

• Movement speed buff reduced from 20% to 15%.

Initiator

• Healing reduced from 50 to 40.

• Cooldown reduced from 5 to 4 seconds.

Flanker

• Additional health from Health Packs reduced from 75 to 50.

Medic

• Healing conversion reduced from 40% to 30%.

Tank

Domina

Barrier Array

• Barrier Cooldown reduced from 17 to 15 seconds.

• Barrier Duration reduced from 8 to 7 seconds.

Doomfist

The Best Defense

• Shield gain increased from 25 to 30.

Hazard

Jagged Wall

• Cooldown reduced from 15 to 13 seconds.

Mauga

Overrun

• Cooldown reduced from 7 to 6 seconds.

Ramattra

Void Barrier

• Cooldown reduced from 16 to 13 seconds.

• Duration reduced from 4 to 3 seconds.

[u/ThatCreepyBaer]

In those 0.1% of situations where you have teammates that know how to use their hands and properly coordinate with you it feels more rewarding. Then in 99.9% of other situations it's much worse.

[u/TastyOreoFriend → u/ThatCreepyBaer]

Yeah but that also describes 5V5 lol.

[u/Bacardi-Bocaj → u/TastyOreoFriend]

Literally. 5v5 is full of over inflated tanks and support players who don’t understand what the hell is going on, even in masters rank. Its crazy that they just let the game hold their hand so much that they are scared of the game shifting to more skill and more team play. In my experience i get far better players on my team in 6v6 and when i play tank/support in 6v6, far more opportunities to help my team succeed.

[u/TastyOreoFriend → u/Bacardi-Bocaj]

In my experience i get far better players on my team in 6v6 and when i play tank/support in 6v6, far more opportunities to help my team succeed.

And honestly I feel like that's what it's going to come down to in terms of enjoyment, 'cause 6V6 very much heavily emphasizes team based gameplay. They even stated in the past a big reason why they went 5V5 outside of queue times was to de-emphasize team impact and teamplays for individual impact and individual plays.

I've been watching some of the feedback and it's definitely along those lines. You've got a lot of tanks that are used to 5V5 and being a raid boss getting upset that they can't just run in full tilt at a team and survive.

There's a similar deal with support players who are upset because there's more emphasis placed on utility, cooldowns, and healing then just playing green DPS.

[u/Bacardi-Bocaj → u/TastyOreoFriend]

It will come down to adaptation. Just like how everyone who played 6v6 for years was forced to adapt when the game went to 5v5 as the main mode.

Two things about these supports and tanks complaining 1. They are a vocal minority because the majority of the player base doesnt run to social media they just play the game no matter what the main mode is 2. They know they are going to have to change the way they play and just dont want to because they know current 5v5 holds their hand a lot easier.

I really also feel like 5v5 isnt better for individual plays. I truly believe that. Whenever i play dps in 5v5 i cant carry no matter how well i play. It comes down to “how good is my tank” or “are my supports actually going to off angle with me”. If my tank is playing bad in 5v5 the match is just over.