Overwatch 2 January 5 update patch notes: Battle For Olympus event, Hero buffs and nerfs, bug fixes
Overwatch 2 players will have to deal with a bunch of new changes in the game’s January 5 update with several Heroes being buffed and nerfed, a new Battle For Olympus LTM, as well as general bug fixes.
We are swiftly closing in on Overwatch 2 Season 3 and the devs are still tinkering with elements of the game to ensure the free-to-play experience is as compelling and engaging as can be.
As is standard with most patches, the January 5 update for Overwatch 2 offers general improvements to key aspects of the game including audio and graphical issues. Not only that, but the anticipated Battle For Olympus game mode is here, along with changes to several of the game’s Heroes.
This is everything you need to know about the Overwatch 2 Season 2 January 5 update with complete patch notes.
Overwatch 2 January 5 update: Battle For Olympus
The Greek theme of Overwatch 2 Season 2 continues as Blizzard have given players new gameplay to wrap their head around with the new Battle For Olympus event.
The event started on January 5, 2022, and is expected to last until January 19, 2022 – giving players two full weeks to take in all the new content including the new LTM as well as special event skins.
Overwatch 2 January 5 update: Buffs, nerfs & bug fixes
A few of the game’s Heroes have been subject to buffs and nerfs that will alter how they perform during a game of Overwatch 2 and could ultimately affect pick rates too.
Junker Queen and Zarya have been targeted in the game’s Tank department, whereas Brigitte and Moira have undergone some changes in the Support category.
Along with character buffs and nerfs, Blizzard have also addressed a number of issues with the game and delivered solutions to faulty emotes, map abnormalities, and even Hero-specific bugs too.
Overwatch 2 January 5 update: Complete patch notes
NEW SEASONAL MODE: BATTLE FOR OLYMPUS FFA
In this free-for-all Deathmatch mode, battle for the throne of Olympus as seven powerful gods and monsters from Greek Mythology, each with a unique Divine Power that kicks in when they use their ultimate ability. The most valiant contenders in the Battle for Olympus will have the chance to earn limited-time voice lines and player titles, to brag about their accomplishments for all eternity.
At the end of the event, the hero whose powers were used to secure the most eliminations across all matches will be crowned the new ruler of Olympus!
GENERAL UPDATES
Career Profile
- Game Reports for completed matches in the history tab will stay persistent across sessions and reset between patches rather than every session
COMPETITIVE PLAY
- The 2023 season of Competitive Capture the Flag begins on January 10 and can be found in the Competitive Play menu
- The Competitive Play loading screen has been updated
HERO UPDATES
TANK
Junker Queen
Adrenaline Rush (Passive)
- Now heals for the remaining wound damage when an enemy dies with wounds on them
Carnage
- Cooldown is now reduced by 2 seconds for each enemy it impacts
Jagged Blade
- Thrown impact damage reduced from 80 to 50
- Thrown direct impacts now add a 30 damage wound to the stuck target. Stacks with wounds caused by Quick Melee or returning Jagged Blade hits.
Zarya
Energy (Passive)
- Energy degeneration reduced from 2.2 to 2 per second
- Delay before energy degeneration begins after gaining energy increased from 1 to 2 seconds
SUPPORT
Brigitte
Barrier Shield
- Health increased from 250 to 300
Moira
Biotic Orb
- Dealing damage with Biotic Orb now restores a small amount of Biotic Energy
Bug Fixes
GENERAL
- Fixed a bug with Souvenirs being incorrectly placed on Ramattra
- Fixed an issue with Kiriko’s Ofuda displaying black textures during her Whirlwind emote
- Fixed an issue with Reaper’s animations when ending his ‘Take a knee’ emote
- Resolved an issue with placeable abilities (turrets, mines) floating after the destructible environment they were placed on was destroyed
- Fixed an issue that resulted in some users seeing a black screen as their Main Menu background
- Fixed a bug that caused “Group Up” to say “I’m on my way” in unintended circumstances.
- Fixed an issue on some consoles that resulted in blurry graphics
- Fixed an issue where some players were not able to invite across certain consoles
- Fixed some performance issues in the Hero Gallery on Console platforms
- Resolved an issue where Daily Challenges were not rolling over for some users
- Fixed an issue where the end-of-game ‘DRAW’ text would not appear for players if a colorblind setting was active
- Resolved an issue with ‘Invite to Custom Game’ not appearing as an option in the Social Menu
MAPS
Watchpoint Gibraltar
- Fixed some areas that allowed players to escape the map boundaries
Shambali Monastery
- Fixed some areas where players could become stuck
- Fixed some areas where some abilities could be ‘eaten’ by the environment
- Fixed lighting and geometry in several areas across the map
HEROES
Bastion
- Fixed an issue where Bastion’s sound effects could loop at the location of death
- Fixed an issue where Bastion’s whole screen would turn yellow when healed by a Brigitte Repair Pack
Kiriko
- Fixed a bug with Swift Step in Capture the Flag that would send the Flag to the destination instead of dropping it where the ability was activated
Mercy
- Fixed Mercy’s Guardian Angel sometimes allowing her to escape Ramattra’s Ravenous Vortex
Ramattra
- Fixed an issue with missing assets on Ramattra’s Hero Information page
- Fixed an issue with Ramattra’s Primary Fire effects not displaying the correct amount of projectiles for other players
- Ramattra should now play rumble effects on gamepads/controllers
- Ramattra can no longer have more than one barrier active at a time. Note: This could not happen in standard modes, only Custom Game or modes with low cooldowns
Tracer
- Fixed an issue where Pulse Bomb would not damage Tracer if it was ‘Stuck’ to an enemy
If you want to know even more about Overwatch 2 and gain more knowledge about various aspects of the online shooter, we have plenty more guides for you to take a look at:
Are Overwatch 2 servers down? | Best Overwatch 2 PC settings | Does Overwatch 2 have cross-progression crossplay? | How to play Overwatch 2 on Steam Deck | How to get Golden Guns in Overwatch 2 | Best Overwatch 2 Heroes | How to join Voice Chat in Overwatch 2 | Who is the most popular Overwatch 2 Heroes | How to check your rank in Overwatch 2 | Overwatch 2 Highest Endorsement Level explained
Image Credit: Blizzard