Bizzare Overwatch 2 clip sums up why Hanzo’s Storm Arrows still need rework

That doesn't look healthy at all.

Hanzo from Overwatch 2
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

If you thought scoring kill streaks in Overwatch 2 is tough, we have just the Hanzo clip to change your mind—and probably your main too. 

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On Nov. 27, Overwatch 2 player Aples posted a clip of them scoring an outlandish five-kill streak with nothing but Hanzo’s Storm Arrows. You might be wondering what’s wrong with playing well, but here’s the catch: even the player themselves wasn’t sure how they managed to make that play. 

Hanzo from Overwatch posing at the end of one of his highlight reel intros.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

If you watch the clip closely, the player had to put little to no effort in aiming the Storm Arrows at the enemies, who were moving around beyond the barrier with their hitboxes barely visible. In fact, for the fifth kill, the player wasn’t even aiming at the enemy, but the arrow still grabbed the kill. 

As someone who has faced such shocking Hanzo plays before, it’s hilarious and outrageous at the same time. Interestingly, he was hit with a nerf, alongside Widowmaker, in season five back in June, reducing the damage he can deal with his arrows quite significantly. But if Aples’ clip isn’t enough proof that he still needs changes, we don’t know what is. 

The clip garnered significant popularity on Reddit and it wasn’t long before the community began pointing out how frustrating Hanzo’s arrows have been. Players also took the opportunity to pass hilarious sarcastic comments. “We all hate Widowmaker as a Sniper because of her long-ranged, one-way interaction oneshots, but at least she has to purposefully aim at a target…” one player wrote

In fact, a lot of Hanzo players agreed it’s oddly easy to hit targets with his arrows in Overwatch 2. “With Hanzo, almost every single team fight I accidentally snipe someone or just steal a kill,” one player confessed. Players also added that it feels “shit” to play against the bowman for this very reason.

Among all the quirky comments, one read: “‘I am not sure what happened’ [said] every Hanzo player ever” and it cracked me up. It’s truly funny how some Hanzo mains are oblivious about the hero’s broken state.

While some of you might be pushed into thinking playing Hanzo requires no skill after watching the clip, I don’t fully support the idea. The enemies in the clip didn’t exactly have the best positioning, which allowed Hanzo to get those kills easily. It’d be really difficult for a Hanzo to hit such clips in high Elo, where players are more aware of what they’re doing. 

While it’s true his arrows are a bit overpowered at the moment and calls for a rework to the hero, the rest of his kit is pretty balanced. Storm Arrows isn’t everything Hanzo has to offer in Overwatch 2, and it definitely isn’t enough to win a game—no matter how unbalanced the ability is.

Author
Image of Sharmila Ganguly
Sharmila Ganguly
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. An enthusiastic gamer who bumped into the intricacies of video game journalism in 2021 and has been hustling ever since. Obsessed with first-person shooter titles, especially VALORANT. Contact: sharmila@dotesports.com