Overwatch 2: Is Genji Overpowered Right Now?

While it's true that "Overwatch 2" got off to a seriously rocky start, more than 25 million players have had the chance to try out the free-to-play sequel for themselves. And while some players are trying to learn the best characters to counter Mercy, "Overwatch" veterans and newcomers alike have also been able to experience powerful plays by one of the game's most popular characters: Genji. 

As a longtime fan-favorite, there's never been a shortage of Genji players, with him being one of the top ten most-played characters in the first game for both Quick and Competitive play. Now, the cyborg ninja is showing a lot of promise as one of the more powerful choices within the meta for "Overwatch 2." At least, that's what players are saying. With the changes made to "Overwatch 2" as a whole, some believe that Genji is one of the highest-ranked launch characters in the game. In fact, some players are even saying that Genji is too powerful.

As addressed on Reddit by user Mr_Deed5, some players believe Genji has become a terrifying force. Players contend that the stuns and crowd control moves reduced or removed in the sequel make it harder to counter Genji's jumpy movements. Previously, anything capable of delaying the cyborg ninja offered the best chance to stop a Genji player in their Swift Striking, wall-climbing tracks. 

Of course, this problem is allegedly exacerbated by the fact that all Damage Role characters within "Overwatch 2" have a new passive that grants them 25% increased movement and reload speed for 2.5 seconds after they score an elimination. For an already highly-mobile character like Genji, this passive is a potent boost to power.

However, other than the addition of the new passive, Genji has received no additional changes from how he played in the first game. In a developer blog from Blizzard, it doesn't seem that the creators think Genji is quite as overpowered as players. Blizzard acknowledges that Genji has proven popular so far but notes that his win rate is currently at 52%. "We'll watch Genji carefully throughout the season to ensure he doesn't slice up the competition too much and may make adjustments in Season Two." The blog continues by saying that Blizzard may adjust the Damage Role Passive if needed. At the moment, it seems that Genji will stay where he is whether players find him overpowered or not.