Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled exciting balance changes coming to Overwatch 2 in Season 17, with one of the most unexpected being a 10% reduction in Bastion's size. This amusing yet strategic adjustment arrives alongside tweaks to Junker Queen, Pharah, Lifeweaver, and other heroes when Season 17 launches on June 24.

The highly anticipated 17th season of Overwatch 2 is just weeks away. To build excitement, Blizzard recently released a trailer for the arcade-themed Season 17, titled Powered Up!, which premiered on June 17, one week before the official season launch.

In a recent Weekly Recall blog post, Overwatch 2 associate hero designer Scott "Custa" Kennedy shared insights into how player feedback and gameplay data influence balance decisions. Among the numerous adjustments planned for Season 17, Bastion's size reduction stands out as particularly noteworthy. Originally intended to be 15% smaller, Kennedy humorously noted that this made the character "too cute," leading the team to settle on a 10% reduction instead. This change will make Bastion a harder target to hit while improving his survivability.

Key Balance Changes in Overwatch 2 Season 17

Notable Adjustments:

• Damage Role Passive: Healing penalty increased to 30% (from 25%)
• Global Health Regeneration: Timer extended to 6 seconds (from 5)
• Bastion: Size reduced by 10%
• Junker Queen: Commanding Shout now prioritizes Overhealth for allies
• Quality-of-Life Improvements: Pharah's Helix Shields and Lifeweaver's Cleansing Grasp receive refinements

Beyond Bastion's size adjustment, Kennedy highlighted other significant changes. Junker Queen will receive a crucial update to her Commanding Shout ability, enhancing her effectiveness as an offensive tank by prioritizing ally Overhealth. Meanwhile, Pharah and Lifeweaver will benefit from quality-of-life improvements to their respective abilities, Helix Shields and Cleansing Grasp.

One of the most impactful changes involves the Damage role passive. The healing reduction penalty has been increased from 25% to 30%, and the global health regeneration timer has been extended to six seconds. These adjustments aim to address the current dominance of support heroes' healing output while ensuring damage heroes remain formidable threats.

Kennedy also touched on future balance considerations for Sombra, who has maintained an exceptionally high ban rate. Describing her as a "complex case," he indicated that significant changes might not arrive in Season 17 but hinted at potential adjustments or even another rework in upcoming updates.