SDCC 2018 Overwatch Panel Scoop: Torbjorn Rework

Blizzard Entertainment developer Geoff Goodman discussed mostly details about the newest hero Wrecking Ball (aka Hammond), but there were a few goodies mentioned about upcoming content changes.

For example, there are plans for a Torbjorn 2.0 rework. Torbjorn will no longer place the base turret on the ground and hammer it for a few seconds to upgrade the turret to level 2. In the rework version, he will just throw it on the ground fully functional (approximately 5 yards away from him) as a level 2 turret. The idea is to make Torbjorn more viable as an offense hero. Currently he is too much defense focused. Sometimes you have to stand near the turret to keep it alive, and less offense attack using his hand-gun. With the rework, he can focus more on shooting, and less on hammering the turret.

Torbjorn will no longer have his Molten Core Ultimate. The developers tweaked different versions of Molten Core in internal builds where it would only buff the turret. Then another version where it only buffed Torbjorn (not the turret). The developers weren’t satisfied with the changes, so they decided to scrap Molten Core altogether.

At the moment, it is unknown what the new Ultimate will be.

UPDATE (10pm EST): There is a Geoff Goodman interview with VG247 that goes into what I posted in this article. **I made two corrections. 1) The new turret is deployed already as a level 2 turret (I originally said it self-upgrades to level 2 after deployment). 2) Some people were touchy-feely when I said it is coming to PTR very soon. That’s usually the case when Blizzard announces something at a convention (usually 1 week, up to two months from announcement). Quote from the VG247 interview: “There’s no word yet on when the Torbjörn rework will release, as the team hasn’t even started working on the art for his new abilities yet – they’re fully focused on locking down the design. One thing is for sure, though – Torbjörn is going to be a different beast once Blizzard is done with him.”

MERCHANDISE

Blizzard announced new Wrecking Ball merchandise coming from FUNKO, and Tokidoki, as well as a new Wrecking Ball T-shirt and Cute But Deadly figurine.

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