Is Bastion Removed from Overwatch 2? A Deep Dive
The fate of Bastion, the hulking tank-support hybrid hero in Overwatch 2, has been shrouded in mystery of late. Players have taken to social media and gaming forums to wonder if he has been permanently removed from the game. In this article, we’ll investigate the rumors, provide conclusive answers, and explore what lies ahead for this beleaguered hero.
The Short Answer
Before we dive into the lengthy explanation, the direct answer to the question: No, Bastion is not permanently removed from Overwatch 2.
The Context
Blizzard Entertainment, the game’s developer, has struggled with balancing the game since its release in 2016. Over the past two years, the development team has introduced various patch updates, some of which had unintended consequences. To curb the abuse of exploit-prone abilities, Torbjörn and Bastion were temporarily removed from gameplay modes. This strategic withdrawal aimed to prevent rampant, game-breaking strategies, particularly in the competitive Overwatch Professional League (OWL) tournaments.
The Situation as of May 2018
After a slew of balance updates, fans waited anxiously for further confirmation on Bastion’s and Torbjörn’s return to the meta. In late May 2018, Blizzard provided official word through their Development team, Jon Spector, announcing that Bastion and Torbjörn would return in Summer 2018, stating:
"The goal here was to prevent the snowballing and to improve competitive play, but [fans] don’t see as much Torbjorn in the high-level play we thought they would. Both these heroes have a natural capacity to support their own composition, so we saw both of these heroes’ returns as pretty important milestones"
Key Takeaways from the Situation
- Temporary removal for balance purpose: Both heroes returned on October 25th, 2018.