Overwatch 2 players are noticing that popular tank hero Reinhardt is getting weaker each patch, leading some to not want to play the character anymore.
Overwatch 2 Season 2 brought a change in the tank meta, not only because of the introduction of Ramatra but also thanks to the December 15th update, which saw a number of buffs and nerfs in the patch notes.
Despite having no buffs or nerds for Junker Queen or Roadhog, with those Heroes reportedly changing in the mid-season update for Overwatch 2 Season 2, we saw a bunch of Heroes change in the December 15th patch. receives.
Tank heroes like Doomfist, Orisa, and Ramatra received changes in the patch. While no changes were made to Reinhardt, the buff to Orisa’s ultimate ability, Terra Surge, inadvertently shut down the beloved melee tank.
As of the December 15 patch, Orisa’s ultimate “now pierces through barriers on impact,” meaning Reinhardt’s shield no longer has a counter.
Players are reacting to this on the Overwatch subreddit, with many Reinhardt fans liking Poog Weiner claiming that the devs are making the tank “weaker after every patch”.
Other players in the comments express similar sentiments, with one player saying “Ren is my main but I’ve felt him getting weaker as time goes on.” He explains that the hero’s “shield might as well be paper now given the speed it wears down.”
Overwatch 2’s 5v5 gameplay changes put a greater emphasis on tanks, which also disabled the shield meta that players had seen in the original Overwatch. On top of this, other Legends buffs like this one for Orisa means it’s easier to break through and cross shields.
These big changes will make players not want to play Reinhardt and other shield characters anymore as Reddit user Romerao Put up a post on Reddit saying “That’s it, I’m retiring my shield.”
Clearly, Reinhardt isn’t too happy about the main tank changes and unintentional nerfs, though, so it looks like the devs want to move away from the shield meta.
That said, who knows what the future holds for Overwatch 2, as Tank could get reworked as a Roadhog if his pick rate and performance take a nosedive, perhaps even next season.
For more on Overwatch 2, see Why players are disappointed with the Winter Wonderland event.
Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment