Blizzard is testing big changes for Overwatch's Bastion

Bastion is one of the most neglected heroes in all of Overwatch. Once feared for its massive damage output, the Omnic robot has become one of Overwatch's least-played heroes, largely due to its poor survivability, poor versatility, and the ease with which it's countered and shut down by a skilled opponent. 

We reported last week that Blizzard has been working on extensive changes to the hero. Today we're getting some visibility into what's in store for the Omnic robot.

According to principal designer Geoff Goodman, Blizzard is tweaking several parts of Bastion's design. In Recon Mode, also known as the form where Bastion can run around, its bullet spread will be decreased as well as magazine size increased. Meanwhile, Bastion's Sentry Mode (when it's transformed into a stationary turret) will be retooled to be more effective against big targets like tanks and barriers. 

"We're looking at focusing this mode into more of a tank-buster and barrier-buster mode, while also making it feel less suicidal to be transformed," Goodman said. "To that end we're testing stuff like increased spread and removing headshots, but taking less damage while transformed."

Finally, Blizzard hopes to increase Bastion's survivability via changes to its Self-Repair:

"We've been testing a few big changes to this that are feeling really good so far," Goodman said. "Currently our internal build has Bastion able to use Self-Repair while moving and also having it no longer interrupted when taking damage. To balance that out it is now on a resource system (similar to the route D.Va's defense matrix went). These changes have turned this ability from a more niche rarely used ability, to a much more powerful and core survivability tool."

These changes are still being tweaked and tested internally, but Goodman says Blizzard hopes to have a PTR build coming fairly soon where the changes will be available for public testing. These tweaks join the small buff to D.Va's Defense Matrix, which also will be debuting on the upcoming PTR. 

Hopefully whatever changes make it to the PTR, and eventually to live, will help once again make Bastion a viable pick in competitive Overwatch. The potential of filling a niche "tank-buster" role is particularly intriguing, as that could go a long way in breaking up the still-dominant "triple-tank" meta.