Overwatch 2's Massive Illari Nerf - Here's What You Need to Know!

Highlights

Overwatch 2 is nerfing Illari's Healing Pylon and Captive Sun abilities to prepare her for competitive play, which has sparked mixed opinions among players.

Speculation exists that the Healing Pylon might have reduced healing power or a limited duration, while the Captive Sun skill could require more damage to trigger its second explosion or have a shorter mark duration. The potential impact of these adjustments on Illari's performance in competitive play remains unknown, and players are hopeful that the Healing Pylon will only experience a slight decrease in healing rather than a substantial alteration that would impact gameplay dynamics.

The Overwatch 2 team is making adjustments to Illari's abilities, including her ultimate, in preparation for the latest support hero's release into competitive play. Illari, the second support hero introduced this year after Lifeweaver, joined the roster during Season 6 Invasion of Overwatch 2. This season also brought co-op PvE missions, the Flashpoint core game mode, two new maps called Suravasa and New Junk City, and more.

Illari's integration into Overwatch 2 has been successful thus far, with many players enjoying her aggressive playstyle, though some have already suggested that she needs to be nerfed. As a support hero, Illari relies on her Healing Pylon as her primary source of healing. The Pylon remains active until either Illari cancels it or it is destroyed by the enemy. Currently, Illari players depend on the Pylon to keep their team's health bars full while they aim for fully-charged headshots with the Solar Rifle. Although Illari's kit is straightforward, her ultimate ability, Captive Sun, is a bit more intricate. This move launches Illari into the air to unleash a large ball of solar energy upon the enemy team. Those struck by the ball are marked for seven seconds, and if they sustain 90 damage during that time, they will explode, potentially triggering a chain reaction among more fragile foes.

On Twitter, Alex Dawson, Lead Hero Designer for Overwatch 2, informed the community that Illari will be receiving two separate nerfs to her abilities. The first nerf will target her Healing Pylon, a crucial ability for Illari. The second nerf will affect her ultimate, Captive Sun. These changes are scheduled to be implemented next week, coinciding with Illari's availability in Overwatch 2's competitive play.

Many early players of Illari argue that her Healing Pylon is her most vital ability. While the specifics of these nerfs are currently unknown, it is possible that the Pylon's healing output will be reduced. Additionally, considering that players are having difficulty locating and destroying Illari's well-placed Pylons, there is a possibility that the deployable will have a limited lifespan before self-destructing, similar to Lifeweaver platforms or Winston's bubble. This change would significantly affect Illari players as it would require them to constantly monitor their teammates' health bars and use their limited Solar Rifle resource for healing. Regarding Captive Sun, its initial explosion radius is already small, which suggests that the nerf might involve increasing the damage threshold required for triggering the second explosion on marked targets, or decreasing the duration of the marks themselves.

It remains to be seen whether these Illari nerfs will remain unchanged in the long run once she joins competitive play. Hopefully, the crucial Healing Pylon will only receive a minor reduction in healing instead of being subjected to a time limit, as the latter would significantly alter the way players approach the hero. Overwatch 2 enthusiasts can anticipate further information about these modifications next week when Illari gets ready to join the competitive scene.

Overwatch 2 is currently accessible for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.