The Overwatch League enters Week 11 and so comes another wave of upcoming Hero Bans. Widowmaker, McCree, Brigitte, and Reinhardt all saw the banhammer for the professional scene – with reactions a lot more positive than the previous bans.
The Overwatch League continues the trend of the Hero Pool update which sees two damage dealers, one healer and one tank banned, with bans following through into competitive play.
Another week, another rotation. Take a look at the heroes we won't be seeing next week! #OWL2020 pic.twitter.com/AvXSFbLn5t
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) April 13, 2020
Interestingly enough, McCree has been hit over three times with competitive and professional bans. So how do these upcoming bans impact professional and competitive Overwatch?
Widowmaker
Widowmaker is considered the go-to optimal pick for professional players, with professional team San Francisco Shock even chiming in regarding the ban:
Trying to nerf @ansansniper__ so soon?
— San Francisco Shock (@SFShock) April 13, 2020
With Widowmaker banned from professional play, players will need to fall back on heroes such as Ashe for that optimal scope that will be missing from play. Ashe brings great utility that Widowmaker lacks and with Ashe's ultimate, it's a must-pick for any team wanting a little less conversation and a little more headshots. Competitive play will no doubt see Hanzo sneak his way into games as his ultimate is great for any team combination if used correctly.
McCree
McCree joins Widowmaker as the second damage dealer being banned. This cowboy can't seem to make it to high-noon before being tossed out of the bar.
Expect all sorts of replacements, with Soldier 76 being a top contender replacement due to his utility, in-built healing, and his ultimate Tactical Visor which can be disastrous when combined with Ana's ultimate.
Brigitte
Speaking of healers, Brigitte has been banned which comes as no surprise to many. Her abilities are just too strong at the moment for competitive and professional play. Great replacements for her are Zenyatta and Lucio who both offer fantastic healing and great composition versatility for teams.
Reinhardt
Saving the most controversial ban for last is the German powerhouse Reinhardt who joins the tank class ban for professional and competitive play. Right now, Reinhardt is no joke, with an incredible pick rate across the board and plenty of fans chiming in on the ban in question:
Reinhardt works incredibly well across all compositions, so this could be Overwatch trying to get players to experiment with something new rather than relying on the German tank who just does everything well. Those who are still upset can pick robotic tank Orisa, who works well, but does lack that mobility Reinhardt has.
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