Skip to main content

Take cover: 'Overwatch' hero Bastion is getting some big changes

overwatch bastion update image
When Overwatch first launched last May, and even earlier during beta periods, players took to forums in droves to complain about the character Bastion. Its turret ability, self-healing, and range made it one of the most popular characters, capable of taking out nearly every opponent in just a second or two. Since then, however, it has become significantly less useful due to other characters’ improvements, but an update could be in the works to make the usually friendly robot more viable again.

Writing on the official Overwatch forums, designer Geoff Goodman revealed that several changes for Bastion are most likely going to be included in the next public test realm update — this PC-only environment sees tweaks and changes tested before they’re pushed live to the rest of players.

Perhaps the most notable change will come to Bastion’s “sentry” mode, which transforms it into an immobile turret capable of decimating anyone who steps in front of its line of fire.

“To that end, we’re testing stuff like increased spread and removing headshots, but taking less damage while transformed,” Goodman said.

This change appears to be somewhat similar to the one we saw with Torbjörn several months ago, which decreased the damage of his turret (on consoles) to stop it from serving as an automatic killing machine. Increasing Bastion’s damage resistance in this form should make it easier for players to displace, however.

“Recon” mode, which is Bastion’s default configuration, will also be getting a decreased shot spread and an increased magazine size — right now, it’s usually preferable to turn into a turret whenever Bastion comes across another player.

Bastion’s self-repair ability has also undergone an overhaul. It can now be used while moving and can’t be interrupted, but it will now use a resource system to stop players from spamming it at all times.

Which characters do you think should be changed in Overwatch? Symmetra underwent the most radical update, but a number of other characters like Winston, Hanzo, and McCree could benefit from some performance boosts.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Bastion and Torbjörn temporarily removed from Overwatch 2 due to exploits
Bastion and Torbjorn sitting in the workshop in Overwatch 2.

As if the already troubled launch of Overwatch 2 wasn't stressful enough, Blizzard has temporarily removed Bastion and Torbjörn from the hero roster for emergency maintenance on the serious glitches they've been causing.

According to a post made on the Overwatch Twitter account and in the status update last night, Bastion has been completely disabled from the game while Torbjörn has been removed from every game mode except Quick Play. "Both of these heroes are experiencing bugs that heavily impact gameplay, and we’ll share an update on them soon," Blizzard said.

Read more
The best heroes in Overwatch 2
D.Va with cherry blossom background

With the release of Overwatch 2, the cast of selectable heroes has ballooned to over 30 distinct characters spread between the three major roles. Even for veteran players, this leaves a ton of abilities, tactics, counters, and compositions to try and keep straight. If you're a new player, the choices will easily feel overwhelming. It can be simple enough to narrow down what class of hero you want to focus on, whether it be Tank, Support, or Damage, but even within those boundaries, you have a ton of variations.

While your mileage will certainly vary on which hero you consider to be "best," and the game's meta will shift with any update and balance changes, there are always going to be a select few that are top-tier for that time. As of the current state of Overwatch 2, these are the best heroes you should at least consider for each role, which we will update as the game's meta adjusts and changes over time.

Read more
Overwatch 2 text chat bug can make nonrefundable skin purchases
Junker Queen holding a shotgun and axe in Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2's rocky post-launch saga continues as the game is suffering from a bug that randomly purchases skins from the in-game shop without permission from players while they're using the chat.

As reported by Kotaku, some players pointed out the auto-purchasing bug to Blizzard after the game's tumultuous launch on Tuesday. The issue appeared to gain more traction Thursday evening when Reddit user Dracyoshi made a post in the Overwatch subreddit detailing their experience of buying the Junker Queen skin without meaning to because they typed text chat in the Hero Gallery.

Read more