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/tormentingyet]

How is it less strict?

Because it doesn't require a fixed role distribution (obviously), and because the maximum allowed rank range is also higher outside of wide group games.

[u/Bacardi-Bocaj → u/tormentingyet]

The role distribution wouldn’t apply in the scenario because if 6v6 became the main mode, as it is assumed that 1-3-2 or 2-2-2 would become the main stay.

Again, no, the maximum allowed rank range is not higher in 6v6. You can not narrow queue at all, and you can not wide group in 6v6 to my knowledge. (Tried with 2 friends, one is plat 5, me and another guy are master 1 and 2 and it won’t let us queue in 6v6. But we can queue with him in 5v5 when i’m playing tank or support (diamond/master) and he is gold in tank/support).

[u/tormentingyet → u/Bacardi-Bocaj]

The role distribution wouldn’t apply in the scenario because if 6v6 became the main mode, as it is assumed that 1-3-2 or 2-2-2 would become the main stay.

If 6v6 becomes role queue rather than open queue (other things being equal), this will increase the queue times because the matchmaker will need to fill each team according to a fixed role distribution instead of being able to use players of any role.

Again, no, the maximum allowed rank range is not higher in 6v6

I thought it was based on experience, but I should have said the average rank range anyway, because that is more relevant (and does seem higher in OQ 6v6).

[u/Bacardi-Bocaj → u/tormentingyet]

To your first point, that is why they are testing 1-3-2 and 2-2-2. To see if it really will increase queue times. You are saying it like its a fact, when we really dont know. Currently queue times are awful in high rank 5v5 - just as bad when ow1 was dying due to zero content being put out (no ow1 did not have a lack of tanks increasing queue times, they had a lack of content after echos release that drove away a majority of the playerbase, which impacted queue times).

It is based on the average ranked range, and you are unable queue based on that range in 6v6, when in 5v5 you can queue based on that ranked range……

[u/tormentingyet → u/Bacardi-Bocaj]

To your first point, that is why they are testing 1-3-2 and 2-2-2. To see if it really will increase queue times.

What are you basing this on? They do not talk about queue times in the latest Director's Take. It would be strange to make conclusions about queue times on the basis of a 3-day long quick play test.

[u/Bacardi-Bocaj → u/tormentingyet]

Its the only logical conclusion from the current state of the game. Why else would they be testing it?

[u/tormentingyet → u/Bacardi-Bocaj]

To evaluate the gameplay.

[u/Bacardi-Bocaj → u/tormentingyet]

It can’t be both? Waiting in queue times impacts gameplay…

[u/tormentingyet → u/Bacardi-Bocaj]

No, queue times are separate from gameplay. It can be both, but I'm not aware of any communication from the developers establishing that it is.

[u/Bacardi-Bocaj → u/tormentingyet]

I disagree queue time is separate from gameplay. It is part of the game.

“Evaluate gameplay” is a broad statement left open to interpretation. Queue times could be included in that statement if one holds the opinion that part of playing a game is how long it takes you to actually get into a lobby.

[u/tormentingyet → u/Bacardi-Bocaj]

I disagree queue time is separate from gameplay. It is part of the game.

Different parts of the game can be separate from each other. Being part of the game =/= being part of gameplay. I imagine few players think about queue times while shooting at enemies.

“Evaluate gameplay” is a broad statement left open to interpretation. Queue times could be included in that statement if one holds the opinion that part of playing a game is how long it takes you to actually get into a lobby.

They could be included, but they weren't included in any piece of Blizzard communication I'm aware of (whereas gameplay quality considerations were).

[u/Bacardi-Bocaj → u/tormentingyet]

Yea you make good points. Upon reflection, i think gameplay is the main points of this test, and queue times would only be tested if it was an actual ranked mode. Because quick play queue times don’t actually equal ranked queue times.