Earlier today, Overwatch League statistics producer Ben “CaptainPlanet” Trautman published a statistical analysis of the early matches of this season’s Stage Two, revealing fascinating insights into the current state of the top-level Overwatch metagame.





Image via Blizzard Entertainment





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By far the biggest takeaway of CaptainPlanet’s writeup is that the much-hated triple-tank/triple-support GOATS team composition has seen a marked decrease in popularity. In Stage One, the 3-3 shell composed of Reinhardt, D.Va, Zenyatta, Brigitte, Lúcio, and Zarya was by far the most popular lineup, used for 58.6 percent of all play time; in general, teams fielded 3-3 comps 73.2 percent of the time. So far this stage, 3-3 lineups have been used for only 47.7% of the league’s total play time. As stated by CaptainPlanet, “triple-triple isn’t dead, but this is a pretty good start.”





The second major takeaway from CaptainPlanet’s breakdown is that Winston has experienced a significant, albeit indirect, buff thanks to adjustments to the way that beam weapons interact with armor in Overwatch’s 1.34 balance patch. Winston’s Tesla Cannon now does more damage to armored foes—5.35 percent more damage, to be precise—so he can now reach his ultimate faster and earn more final blows than in Stage One. Combined with the recent changes to the OWL’s average team comps, this makes Winston a serious threat.





Before you fire up the pitchforks: We know that GOATS is still very prevalent in the meta, and it looks like it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. But this data is undeniable evidence that the 3-3 comp is, at the very least, on the decline.