Yo, fellow Overwatch 2 players! As we're rolling into 2026, the game's meta is still evolving, and one of the biggest talking points since the start of Season 9 has been that DPS passive. You know the one – hit an enemy, and their healing gets reduced. It's been a game-changer, but it's also put our beloved Tanks through the wringer. 😅 From what the devs are hinting at, that might be about to change specifically for the big guys on the front line.

Let's rewind a bit. Back in Season 9, Blizzard dropped a new passive for all Damage heroes: damaging an enemy applied a 20% healing reduction debuff for a few seconds. The community reaction was... intense, to say the least. It made securing kills easier for DPS but turned the Tank experience into a nightmare. Supports were scrambling, and Tanks felt like they were made of paper. The midseason patch dialed it back to 15%, which helped, but the core issue for Tanks remained.

Here's the juicy part. In a recent interview with content creator Flats, Game Director Aaron Keller dropped a major hint. He basically said, "We try to keep things simple, but maybe the DPS passive needs to work differently for Tanks compared to other heroes." 🎯 That's not a full confirmation, but in dev-speak, that's basically them saying, "We're working on it." It sounds like the team has finally acknowledged that a one-size-fits-all debuff might not be fair when one role has to absorb 90% of the enemy team's focus fire.

So, what could this change look like? Let's speculate!

• Reduced Penalty: The most straightforward fix. Tanks might only suffer a 10% healing reduction instead of the full 15%.

• Shorter Duration: The debuff timer on Tanks could be halved, giving Supports a quicker window to top them back up.

• A Hybrid System: Maybe it's based on health percentage? The lower a Tank's health, the less the passive affects them. That would be a wild but interesting mechanic.

Honestly, any of these would be a massive relief. The shift to 5v5 already meant Tanks had to work double-time without their off-tank buddy. This DPS passive just piled on, making it feel impossible to hold a frontline. Heroes like Reinhardt, who needs to be in the thick of it, have had a particularly rough go. It's been a constant cycle of: push in, get lit up, receive less healing, die, repeat. Not fun.

The timing for this potential change is super interesting. Season 10 is already shaping up to be huge. We're getting Venture, the first new DPS hero since the game launched (finally!), and a major rework for Wrecking Ball. Hamster mains, rejoice! 🐹 Ball was one of the heroes hit hardest by the move to single-tank comps. A Ball rework combined with a softer DPS passive for Tanks could legitimately bring him back into the meta as a viable, disruptive pick. It feels like the stars are aligning for a Tank-friendly patch.

The Tank Struggle Timeline	The Problem	The Potential Fix
OW2 Launch	Lost off-tank partner. More pressure, more responsibility.	New Tank designs & reworks (e.g., Orisa, Doomfist).
Season 9	DPS passive introduced. Healing reduced by 20%.	Midseason nerf to 15%. Still punishing.
Future (Post S10?)	Passive remains overly harsh on Tanks, stifling playmaking.	Tailored DPS passive for Tanks! Less severe debuff.

I think the devs are walking a tightrope here. They want the DPS role to feel impactful and reward good aim, but not at the cost of making the Tank role feel miserable to play. Queue times for Tank are already a thing, and nobody wants them to get longer. Making Tanks more resilient to this specific debuff doesn't make them unkillable—it just gives them and their Supports a fighting chance in a sustained engagement.

What does this mean for the game's future? If they implement this change, we could see:

1. More Aggressive Tank Play: Tanks might be willing to take more space and make riskier plays if they know the healing penalty isn't as brutal.

2. Support Synergy Shifts: Supports might not feel forced onto pure heal-bot duty just to keep their Tank alive, allowing for more utility-based play.

3. A Healthier Meta: A role feeling fun to play is the most important thing for the game's health. This could be a big step.

Look, I get it. Change is scary. Some DPS players might worry their role is getting nerfed. But this isn't about taking power away from Damage heroes; it's about giving power back to Tanks. It's about fixing an unintended consequence that made one role's core gameplay loop frustrating. As someone who flexes to all roles, I just want the game to feel good for everyone. The fact that the Overwatch 2 team is openly discussing this gives me hope for 2026 and beyond. Let's see what they cook up! 🤞