Joining in on the April Fool’s Day fun, Blizzard has deployed a hilarious Experimental patch that buffs every hero in the most ridiculous ways imaginable.
April Fool’s Day in the gaming industry is always a special time of year. Some developers prank their player base while others offer a unique update instead. After years of googly eyes being the main attraction in Overwatch, Blizzard has stepped things up in 2021.
A new experimental patch has completely tipped the game on its head. Heroes have been gifted the most absurd buffs in Overwatch history and the best part is, it’s all playable for a limited time.
Anyone can jump into the experimental playlist and test these ridiculous changes in-game.
Gravity? ❌
Ricochet Arrows? ✅
400 Health Tank Mei? ✅ ✅ ✅
These are just a few choice highlights from today’s experimental patch.
👀 Check out the rest https://t.co/kz1QDM32Ns pic.twitter.com/GNV3v5BKdl
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) April 1, 2021
No hero untouched in Overwatch April Fool’s patch
What would an April Fool’s Day patch be if not for some emphatic Torbjorn buffs? The lovable engineer now does a whopping 200% more damage with his Forge Hammer while in Overload. Expect to see plenty of melee kills in the feed as a result.
When it comes to Tank heroes, Wrecking Ball might have been hit with the most outlandish change. All of his ability cooldowns are now lightning quick, but it comes with a unique caveat. Hammond is now in ball form at all times, meaning the hero literally can’t shoot.
Meanwhile, Reinhardt gained a special look at his future. When Overwatch 2 finally launches, the popular hero will have far more control of his Charge ability. Before we get there though, players can test this extreme power in the experimental update.
Speaking of Tanks, Mei has also been adjusted to fit the Tank role. With a drastic increase in health and size, perhaps Mei will finally move on from the DPS category.
Bring to live please pic.twitter.com/RmruiRHWcB
— Scott Kennedy (@Custa) April 1, 2021
Last but not least, a number of Support heroes were hilariously buffed by the April Fool’s Day patch.
Zen might not be able to walk but he can levitate for 3 seconds just from hitting the jump button. Additionally, Ana’s Nano Boost is now a two-for-one effect, buffing herself along with her target.
You can jump into Overwatch today and test these joke changes for yourself. Before you do, brush up on every single adjustment with the full patch notes below.
Overwatch April 1 experimental patch notes
Heroes
Ana
Nano Boost
- Boosting an ally will now also boost Ana
Ashe
Coach Gun
- Projectile damage increased from 6 to 9
- Can now deal critical damage
- Spread reduced by 50%
- No longer knocks back enemies
Baptiste
Biotic Launcher (Secondary Fire)
- Direct grenade hits heal for 33% more health
Immortality Field
- Now reduces damage by incoming by 50% instead of setting a minimum health value
- Cooldown reduced from 25 to 15 seconds
Bastion
General
- Character scale reduced by 15%
Configuration: Recon
- Weapon spread removed
Brigitte
Whipshot
- Hitting an enemy now resets the cooldown of Shield Bash
D.Va
Call Mech
- Now deals 600 damage to enemies on impact
- Ultimate charge cost reduced by 30%
Doomfist
Rocket Punch
- Can now travel upward
Echo
Duplicate
- Duration increased from 15 to 30 seconds
Genji
Deflect
- Cooldown is now reset after eliminating a target
Hanzo
Storm Arrows
- Storm Arrows now ricochet off the environment
Junkrat
Steel Trap
- Can now have up to 3 traps active at the same time
- Cooldown reduced from 10 to 7 seconds
Lucio
Amp It Up
- Now also increases the strength of Soundwave’s knockback
McCree
Peacekeeper (Primary Fire)
- Headshots now refund 1 ammo
Deadeye
- No longer limited to 1 tumbleweed
Mei
General
- Reassigned to the Tank role
- Character scale increased 15%
- Health increased from 250 to 400
Mercy
Guardian Angel
- Can now target enemies
Moira
Biotic Grasp (Secondary Fire)
- Range decreased from 20 to 15 meters
- Damage increased from 50 to 75 damage per second
Biotic Orb
- Cooldown reduced by 1 second for every 100 health restored to an ally with Biotic Grasp (Primary Fire)
Orisa
General
- Forward run speed increased by 40%
Pharah
Concussive Blast
- Cooldown reduced from 9 to 6 seconds
Barrage
- Can now move while casting
Reaper
Shadow Step
- Cast time reduced from 1.5 to 1 seconds
Wraith Form
- Now grants flight for its duration
Reinhardt
Charge
- Now has 200% more power steering
Roadhog
Chain Hook
- Cooldown reduced by 50% after hitting an enemy
Sigma
General
- No longer bound by gravity
Experimental Barrier
Kinetic Grasp
- Cooldown reduced from 12 to 8 seconds
Soldier: 76
Sprint
- Now generates 6 ammo-per-second while active
Tactical Visor
- Now aims for headshots
Sombra
General
- Stealth changes
Symmetra
Photon Projector (Primary Fire)
- Beam range increased from 12 to 16 meters
Torbjorn
Forge Hammer
- Damage increased by 200% while Overload is active
- Killing blows increase the Overload duration by 2 seconds
Tracer
Recall
- Now restores all Blink charges
Widowmaker
Widow’s Kiss (Primary Fire)
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- Damage increased from 13 to 15
- Spread reduced 30%
Widow’s Kiss (Secondary Fire)
- Charged shots now pierce enemies
Winston
Barrier Projector
- Enemy damage now grants Winston ultimate charge
Primal Rage
- Melee damage increased from 40 to 90
- Melee knockback increased by 40%
Wrecking Ball
General
- All ability cooldowns reduced by 3 seconds
Roll
- Is now always active
- Damage increased from 50 to 60
Grappling Claw
- Cooldown increased from 5 to 7 seconds
Adaptive Shield
- No longer prevents enemies from generating ultimate charge
Zarya
General
- Particle Barrier and Projected Barrier are now on a shared cooldown with 2 charges
Zenyatta
General
- Can now levitate for up to 3 seconds by holding Jump
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