Highlights

  • Sombra will likely remain relevant in Overwatch 2 for some time, as fans are still calling for balancing changes, and she is set to have a big role in the next story mission.
  • Overwatch 2 players argue that her ultimate and Virus ability need adjustments to make her more enjoyable to play as and against.
  • Sombra will have a significant role in the next story mission of Overwatch 2, which could involve her betraying Talon and assisting Zenyatta in uncovering the truth about the Iris.

It is certainly an interesting time to be a Sombra player in Overwatch 2. While her LE SSERAFIM collaboration skin has gotten plenty of love, the fan base seems divided on the hero herself. Some players - specifically Supports - are unhappy about her rework, as her new damage-dealing Virus ability can quickly be followed up by some gunfire to instantly kill low-health heroes. Others feel that parts of her kit are a bit too weak, specifically her Ultimate ability, which takes a decent amount of work to earn for very little payoff.

With a hero like Sombra that is designed to have an annoying playstyle, as it suits her hacker identity, the Overwatch 2 fan base is unlikely to fully agree on the character at any point in time. While Blizzard succeeded in its goal to make Sombra commit more to fights, as she now has a more active fighting style as opposed to one that encourages gamers to camp health packs, recent feedback means that the developer could have to alter the hero further. Beyond that, though, Sombra will feature heavily in the next part of Overwatch 2’s story, ensuring that she will be talked about plenty over the next several months.

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Reasons That Sombra Will Remain Relevant Beyond Season 7

Sombra Still Needs Some More Balancing

While the Overwatch 2 community does seem happier with Sombra overall, as she has joined Bastion in the category of largely irrelevant heroes that have been made more viable, many seem to think that there is a bit more work to be done. Sombra players and defenders argue that her ultimate needs some kind of adjustment, which could come in the form of a quicker charge or a larger damage debuff on those caught in the EMP. In its current state, it feels like players are working hard to build up an ability that an even slightly coordinated enemy team can just shrug off, which is largely unsatisfying for Sombra fans.

However, it is also important to consider that some players want changes to Sombra’s new ability, the Virus cube. Not only does this ability do damage over-time, but if it hits a hacked enemy and is quickly followed by gunfire, it can feel like heroes with small health pools are being killed before they have a chance to react. This leads to Sombra being able to hunt Supports and spawn trap staggered players more easily than ever before, and though players at higher ranks may be better about regrouping, those at lower tiers will often find themselves permanently separated from their team if a skilled Sombra feels like ruining their day. Unfortunately, this part of Sombra’s play style is still very much intact, even if it is harder for her to escape after these types of kills. Making Virus a bit less deadly could help, though Blizzard then runs the risk of the new ability feeling weak, so it will be interesting to see if a change is made.

Sombra is Set To Feature in The Next Overwatch 2 Story Mission

Beyond an ongoing discussion around Sombra's rework, a debate that could grow in intensity depending on how effective she is against Season 8’s Tank hero, Sombra will also continue to be talked about due to her upcoming story role. Overwatch 2’s next batch of story missions is set to release sometime after Season 8, and based on the teaser from Invasion’s final mission, it will focus closely on Zenyatta. Talon, Null Sector, or both want the peaceful monk, with Ramattra possibly looking to reprogram his former ally and force him to join his side, though this is purely speculation. Regardless, Widowmaker and Sombra have been sent to capture Zenyatta.

Widowmaker’s appearance in the story is intriguing, as Blizzard will have a chance to finally pull the trigger on breaking her free from the brainwashing she’s endured, but it is Sombra that can really shake up Overwatch 2’s story. Whether she is showing a soft spot for Sigma or reminding fans that she is only in Talon to serve her own goals, there is more to the hacker than meets the eye. As such, there is a good chance that she betrays the group and assists Zenyatta, especially because he can provide answers on the Iris - something at the center of Sombra’s conspiracy. With Sombra set to feature heavily in the next story mission drop, and likely to appear in more multiplayer matches as well as online discussions, the hero has a busy year ahead of her.

overwatch 2 poster
Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 is Blizzard's free-to-play team-based first-person shooter. The title features some new heroes like Junker Queen and Sojourn, as well as returning favorites.