Roadhog Now Feels Even More Powerful

We've mentioned before on this site that Overwatch has had a problem with Roadhog's hook. Specifically, it was able to grab people around corners and over ledges. In short, it was broken. Blizzard has had one hell of a time trying to figure out exactly how to fix it. And with the latest update to the game, along with the Chinese New Year event, they've implemented their current fix: Hook 2.0. That glitchy, broken nature of the hook has been fixed. What's also fixed is that the victims of his hook now always appear directly in front of Roadhog. Before, he would sometimes pull enemies above, beside, or behind him. Unfortunately, the latter fix may have made Roadhog quite a bit more powerful.



Since the update launched, players have noticed a particular trend. Sure, the hook fails when it should: around corners, etc. But when it does succeed (see: most of the time), the chances of instant death have driven up considerably. Before, it was common to get out of Roadhog's grasp with at least a sliver of health left for some of the heroes. Now, though, players have found that Roadhog can one-shot almost anybody in the entire roster. That includes Zarya, a tank.

The current theory behind this is that the hook's fix allows it to pull victims closer to Roadhog than before. That way, more of his shotgun spread finds its mark, leading to more consistent damage. As of now, getting hooked by a Roadhog mostly means instant death. It's fair to say this move won't put an end to the current "Tank Meta" of Overwatch. If anything, it strengthens it. So, expect to see more three tank configurations, especially in high level play. For now, that meta is sure to stick around.