Blizzard’s latest event for Overwatch 2, Quick Play: Hacked, sees the character Sombra ‘take over’ the game mode, introducing new features for a limited time. Previous Hacked events have mixed up the gameplay by discarding the one hero limit for Role and Open queue, instituting quicker respawn times, and making the payload travel faster. However, this time, the Hacked event introduces a feature I didn’t know I needed: pickable passive abilities.
In this event, each role gets three passive abilities to choose from at the beginning of a match, which can be changed throughout the game in the hero select screen. Here’s a breakdown of the new passives:
Tank Passives:
- Debuff Duration Reduced by 40%
- Convert 100 Health into Armor
- 50% Cooldown Reduction When Below 50% Health
Tanks have been notably strong after a recent major patch, making heroes like D.Va even more formidable. Choosing the 100 armor option significantly increased my durability, enhancing the tanking experience.
Damage Passives:
- See Critical Health Enemies Through Walls
- Increase Ammo Capacity by 20%
- Eliminations Grant a 30% Speed Boost
For damage heroes, these passives offer substantial tactical advantages. Increased ammo capacity was a game-changer for heroes like Ashe and Cassidy, particularly in dealing with enemy tanks. For dive heroes like Tracer or Genji, the 30% speed boost made quick engagements and retreats more efficient.
Support Passives:
- 20% Reduced Cooldowns
- 50% Increased Healing for Targets Below 35% Health
- Gain a Brief 20% Speed Boost When Below 50% Health
As a support main, I found these changes particularly beneficial. Ana, who has faced several nerfs, became more versatile. Increased healing helped manage high damage situations, the speed boost was essential against diving enemies, and reduced cooldowns allowed for more frequent use of crucial abilities.
The pickable passives add a subtle but impactful layer of customization without drastically altering the established meta. These tweaks can be incredibly useful given the varied nature of fights in Overwatch 2.
Blizzard has stated that Hacked events serve as testing grounds for new ideas: “Testing new ideas with you for a limited time allows us to quickly understand what you like and possibly implement changes to improve gameplay.” While not all features from Hacked events are guaranteed to become permanent, I hope Blizzard considers bringing pickable passives back in some form.
The Quick Play: Hacked event runs until July 18-21 and offers a refreshing change, enhancing the strategic depth and enjoyment of Overwatch 2. If you haven’t tried it yet, now’s the time to jump in and see how these new passives can elevate your gameplay.
