Overwatch’s D.Va Is Getting Changes To Her Defence Matrix Ability In Future Update

In the latest back and forth in Blizzard’s eternal struggle to make Overwatch the most balanced shooter to ever grace video games, principle designer Geoff Goodman has outlined some tweaks being made to tank hero D.Va in a future update. Now, in case you’re wondering, this isn’t to revert changes made to the character in an update earlier this month but rather, to change how her Defence Matrix ability functions.

In a thread titled ‘2 Ways To Fix D.Va (Without Reverting The Nerf)’ posted on the Battle.net forums (via PCGamesN), users have been suggesting methods in which Blizzard can achieve such a feat, with Goodman having taken note of the excellent feedback found within.

In responding to the various comments, Goodman confirmed that a change to how Defence Matrix absorbs projectiles is currently being tested and is due to roll out in the next patch. As of now, D.Va’s shield is a crucial defence tool for any team, and blocks almost any projectile attacks aimed in her direction from landing on either her or any ally behind the Matrix. Currently, however, it’s not as reliable as Blizzard would like.

There is a change coming to defense matrix next patch that you guys might be interested in. Currently on live, defense matrix wont block shots until they are a very small distance away from the muzzle of the gun that shot them. Generally speaking players wont notice this effect, but it matters a lot in certain situations, such as blocking an ally from getting killed by a roadhog hook combo. Next patch the plan is to remove this minimum distance so the projectiles are killed directly out of the muzzle.

While this is unlikely to result in any noticeable difference during normal play, Goodman says it will mean the world of difference in particular cases, i.e. players caught by an enemy Roadhog’s hook will have the opportunity to be saved by a well-timed use of a friendly D.Va’s Defence Matrix. While Goodman provides no precise date of release, you can probably expect the patch to roll out over the coming weeks.

In the meantime, Overwatch‘s fourth limited-time event – Year of the Rooster – is currently underway on all platforms and introduces a whole host of cosmetic items. If you’ve yet to check it out, see here for all the major details.