Overwatch 2’s Season 9 Changes Put a Tank Hero at the Bottom of the Barrel

Highlights

• Season 9 of Overwatch 2 is packed with new co-op experiences, competitive play changes, and hero-balancing updates.
• Reinhardt received buffs in Season 9, but his outdated ability kit is causing him to fall behind other Tank heroes.
• Blizzard may need to consider a complete rework for Reinhardt to keep him viable in the evolving meta of Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2 is enjoying fresh content in Season 9, which officially launched on February 13. While the seasonal updates for the title are always filled with interesting content, Season 9 is already being lauded as one of the most jam-packed seasons in the game’s history.

Season 9 of Overwatch 2 comes with brand-new co-op experiences and a huge competitive play overhaul, as well as a wide range of balancing changes for the release’s growing roster of playable heroes. ​​​​​​Many of these changes have been welcome, and yet there is still one Tank hero in particular who is being driven further down the hierarchy of the title’s top picks. Despite being one of the most longstanding heroes in Overwatch, it is clear that Reinhardt needs some comprehensive changes in the near future to be made more usable on the battlefield.

Overwatch 2’s Reinhardt Has Been Left in the Dust in Season 9

With Mauga being added to the game in December 2023, Overwatch 2 is still fine-tuning the balancing of its playable heroes. These balancing changes are a core part of Season 9’s content, with Reinhardt getting some positive changes that fans of the hero have been calling for:

• Health increased from 200 to 250.
• Armor increased from 250 to 275.
• Rocket Hammer damage increased from 85 to 100.
• Charge wall impact damage increased from 225 to 275.

Reinhardt May Need a Rework to Re-enter Overwatch 2’s Fold

The Season 9 buff for Reinhardt is definitely a step in the right direction, but these changes do not address the core issue of the hero, which is that his ability kit is simply outdated. Reinhardt was one of the original heroes available in Overwatch from launch, with his abilities and weapons having remained almost exactly the same ever since. Of course, since 2016, Overwatch has undergone a huge range of changes, with the game’s roster having risen from 21 to 39 heroes during this time.

While Reinhardt’s massive health pool and wide shield saw him become one of the most potent Tanks in the original state of Overwatch, the increased avenues of attack and counters of the game’s newer heroes negate a lot of the purpose that he once held. Every single other Tank hero got a buff alongside Reinhardt in Season 9, negating any increased utility that the longstanding Tank may have otherwise gained.

One of the most ambitious gameplay changes that Overwatch 2 has introduced to the franchise is complete reworks for certain heroes, with many other Tanks like Orisa and Roadhog famously being the subjects of them. Blizzard may be hesitant to make such sweeping changes to one of the most iconic characters in the franchise, but the obscurity that Reinhardt is falling into in his current state makes a rework a very viable option. The Season 9 balance changes for Overwatch 2 could have been a great opportunity to bring Reinhardt back into the fold, and yet the amount of viable Tank options has seen the hero fall further than ever before.