Overwatch 2 Reveals Hazard's Gameplay and Abilities, and He Might Just Shake Up the Meta

Overwatch 2 Reveals Hazard's Gameplay and Abilities, and He Might Just Shake Up the Meta

Blizzard unveiled the full abilities of their new tank hero, Hazard, on Day 1 of the 2024 OWCS World Finals. Funnily enough, Hazard seems to be designed as a counter to the Mauga meta we've seen throughout the day, excelling in crowd control, and mobility, and offering a multi-layered playstyle. Here’s a quick rundown of his abilities:

• Bonespur: A five-barrel arm cannon with a slow rate of fire that hits multiple enemies per shot, similar to a shotgun. The shots appear to have a knockback effect.
• Violent Leap: Hazard leaps into the air and can activate the ability again to slice with a crystalline blade.
• Jagged Wall: A large purple crystal rapidly grows on the ground, dealing AoE knockback to nearby enemies.
• Spike Guard: Hazard fires homing spikes from his back at nearby enemies, reducing incoming damage and replenishing ammunition while the spikes are active.
• Vault: A passive ability that allows Hazard to scale short walls and grab ledges, including the ones created by his Jagged Wall.
• Downpour (Ultimate): Hazard’s ultimate shoots spikes from his back, which break into smaller shards that rain down in an AoE, trapping opponents temporarily by embedding into the environment.

Hazard’s abilities make it clear he’s all about area control and crowd disruption. After trying him out (he’s available for the weekend), I can say he’s a powerhouse of a tank, but with a pretty high skill ceiling. I died more than once due to not managing my cooldowns properly and got melted when I couldn't pop Spike Guard or leap away with Violent Leap.

What’s interesting, though, is the tech you can pull off with him - whether it’s 'booping' enemies with his walls, bunny hopping with the leap, or tweaking the settings to make his wall placeable, giving it infinite range (yes, this is real, check the screenshot above). If Hazard were to drop into the game right now, he could shake up the meta.

Tip: Want to change Hazard’s Jagged Wall from the standard projectile to a placement-style system (think Mei’s wall)? Just head to Options > Controls > Hero & HUD, click Change Hero, select Hazard, and toggle “Jagged Wall Uses Preplacement Controls” to On.

He plays similarly to Doomfist but with a mix of Winston and Mei for those walls and high health. If players better than me (so, most of you) get the hang of him, he could easily dominate. He could dive in and shut down Widow threats on maps where they’re an issue, use his ultimate to CC and ground any flyers (it has no ceiling - if you’re in the highlighted area on the ground, you’re getting trapped), and a whole lot more.

All in all, we’re excited to see how he fits into the Overwatch 2 meta when he officially drops in Season 14. He’s likely to get nerfed, but he’s a fresh and promising addition to the roster. Don’t miss out! Play him this weekend while he’s available, and we’ll see him again in Season 14!