Brigitte is one of many Support heroes being reworked for Overwatch 2 and while Blizzard previously teased her new changes, we now know exactly what’s to come.
Although Overwatch 2 still appears to be in early development, new details have been emerging since the recent OWL playtest. From Bastion, Sombra, and Junkrat reworks in the Damage category, to Sigma and Orisa in the Tank category, almost every hero is changing to some degree.
On the Support side, we previously learned of Brigitte’s overhaul in the pipeline. Not only is Blizzard aiming to nerf the class of heroes “across the board,” but Brig specifically is set to change in a number of key ways. Back in September, Blizzard confirmed Brig’s controversial Shield Bash ability would no longer act as a stun in Overwatch 2.
Now, we have plenty more to go off with the devs revealing Brigitte is getting everything from buffs to cooldown changes in the sequel.
First up, Shield Bash in the sequel functions as it previously did in Overwatch. “It can go through barriers once again,” Lead Hero Designer Geoff Goodman confirmed in a recent AMA on Reddit.
This means Brig can Shield Bash the likes of Reinhardt, Orisa, and many others through their own shields.
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To compensate for the lack of a stun effect, the ability has been buffed in a few different ways. Not only does it “deal more damage,” but it also comes with a reduced cooldown, travels further, and even triggers Brig’s Inspire passive.
Similar to her other forms of damage, striking with a Shield Bash now gives Brig her healing aura as well. “You can Shield Bash enemies to trigger Inspire and move to safety without ever lowering your shield,” the devs explained.
Having also ‘doubled’ its range, using Shield Bash is an effective “mobility tool” in Overwatch 2 as well. One that can be used more often than its current iteration in the original title.
There’s no telling when fans will be able to go hands-on with these changes. Sources recently informed Dexerto that Overwatch 2 should arrive before Summer 2022, though an exact release date remains unknown.