The last six years have seenOverwatchundergo some pretty big changes, whether it’s something as simple as new content or role queues where players pick their team role before even selecting their hero. All these changes make the launch version of the multiplayer shooter seem like a distant memory, especially when looking at clips of heroes who play much differently today than they did at release. It is one of these throwback clips that gives longtime players a flashback toMercy’s launch days and highlights the power of her original resurrection ability.
Overwatchlaunched in 2016 and was the first original IP released by Blizzard since 1998’s sci-fi strategy gameStarcraft. The colorful hero-shooter pit two teams of six against each other in objective-based competitive multiplayer, though more traditional multiplayer modes like team deathmatch and free-for-all were added in subsequent updates. The team-focused gameplay meant team build and composition were extremely important, tasking players to find the right combination of damage dealers, support healers, and aggro-drawing tanks.
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A common choice for healing-focused players has been the aforementioned Mercy, despite all the changesBlizzardmade to her since the game launched. She, like most other heroes, has seen plenty of balancing to adjust things like her weapon damage, how quickly she heals, and the damage boost her buff can provide other players. However, it was her original resurrection ability that made her almost a required hero inOverwatch’s early days, and a clip from Reddit user Toddette shows why that is.
Mercy’s original Ultimate, a resurrection ability, allowed her to resurrect multiple teammates if they hadn’t respawned back at the team’s starting zone. A well-placed and timed ultimate, as the clip showed, could prove to be the difference between winning and losing, which, in turn, is why she was one of the most commonly used healers during the first year ofOverwatch’s life. When paired with healers likeLucio, whose Ultimate grants a temporary shield, or Zenyatta’s area-of-effect healing Ultimate, it could make a team almost immortal.
This changed in August 2017 when then-game directorJeff Kaplansaid Mercy would be undergoing a major change, specifically to resurrect. Resurrect would go from being Mercy’s Ultimate ability to a secondary capable of resurrecting only one player at a time and a longer cooldown compared to most other abilities. In its place, Mercy was given the Valkyrie Ultimate, which gives her the ability to fly, shorter ability cooldowns, provides a damage boost to her weapon, and extends out her healing and damage boost beams, both of which can target multiple teammates while Valkyrie is active.
Overwatchis currently available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
