A new change has reached live Overwatch servers today, and it's brought a major nerf to Moira's Biotic Orb. In the current version of the game, Biotic Orb now deals damage to shields, walls, and Zarya bubbles.





At face value, this may seem like a buff, or at least a neutral change. After all, it allows Moira to contribute to the shield damage war. The problem is that any damage that would have been reserved for heroes is now spent almost exclusively on shields. With only 200 damage to deal before it disappears, this makes Biotic Orb all but useless against a team with shields.

Before this patch, Biotic Orb would pass through shields, ignoring them completely and dealing damage only to heroes. This helped Moira poke opponents in fortified positions. Now, that poke capability is gone.





Reddit users have speculated that this change was implemented because of the difficulty in countering Biotic Orb. Only D.Va's Defense Matrix was a reliable solution, making D.Va even more essential to a meta already heavily tipped in her favor.

Whatever the reason for the Moira change, its effects carry heavy implications both for the hero, and for the meta. Blizzard has yet to release patch notes addressing the change.

Cover photo courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment