‘Overwatch 2’ will see Bastion trade in his tank mode for artillery

Earlier today (September 26), Blizzard shared a look at the new skills and appearance that Bastion will launch within Overwatch 2.

With Overwatch 2, fan-favourite robot Bastion receives a “big rework” and will play significantly differently from his playstyle in the original game.

The new video showcases that his ultimate ability – instead of transforming into a tank – will turn Bastion into a stationary artillery piece. In this form, players receive an overhead view of the area and fire down three artillery shells with a free-form target.

Bastion is also losing his self-repair healing ability. His new ability is a more damage-oriented skill, as he will fire a grenade that can bounce off walls and stick to players. Speaking on the change, Geoff Goodman – lead hero designer for Overwatch 2 – said that the grenade “does a ton of damage, has a really big radius, [and] is super fun to fire”.

Bastion’s iconic sentry turret mode is also being changed. Players will now be able to move around (though much slower) in the mode, though the ability will receive a much higher cooldown.

Outside of abilities, Bastion’s primary weapon will be changed significantly. With zero weapon spread and reduced fire, Goodman explains that this new weapon “lets him poke at much longer ranges and play a little more like a pseudo sniper, kind of like his recon form theme was always meant to be”.

Finally, the character receives a bit of a visual change as he moves from the original Overwatch to Overwatch 2. Aaron Tsang – character art director at Blizzard – says the team “updated and modernised his appearance with the use of sleeker, more modernised materials”. Perhaps more importantly, the shinier Bastion still has his cardinal companion and a brand new hat “to help him stand out and to add an extra touch of character”.

Earlier this week, Overwatch executive producer Chacko Sonny left Blizzard “to take some time off”.