Patch date: . Guide reviewed 2026-11-03. Historical changes can be superseded; use current definitions for a match today.
How this guide was prepared: AI-assisted analysis with a separate source-check pass against archived official notes. Practical decisions are reasoned suggestions, not player-tested results or measured win-rate evidence. A small hotfix receives a short guide rather than a reconstructed full build.
Original update sources
Recorded topics: Heroes, Gameplay, Fixes. Dates refer to the update named in the notes; a mirrored post can be published later.
Calico: Ava and Leaping Slash
What changed: Ava duration falls from 20 to 15 seconds, cooldown from 50 to 45 seconds, and speed from 75% to 65%; taking damage slows her by 30% for one second. Ava T2 speed increases from +35% to +45%. Return to Shadows cooldown rises from 80 to 90 seconds. Leaping Slash heals only when hitting heroes, has VFX corrected to match its damage area more accurately, breaks breakables in the area, and fixes a no-damage bug near walls. Its bonus damage from Melee Charge is also fixed.
How to adapt: Test Ava’s timing with the shorter duration and damage-triggered slow, and compare her T2 speed bonus separately from her reduced speed. If relying on Leaping Slash healing, hit a hero; check the corrected area near walls rather than assuming the old visuals showed the damage area accurately.
Sinclair: Vexing Bolt and Audience Participation
What changed: Vexing Bolt damage now increases as the bolt travels: 75 minimum damage, 150 maximum damage, and two seconds to reach maximum; the assistant does 50% damage. T3 is now +150 maximum damage and +50% assistant damage. The T2 update removes the base fire-rate debuff, adds it as a T2 upgrade, and removes Spirit Shred T2. Retargeting can try to find targets through walls and bend around corners. Audience Participation’s cooldown with successful usage changes from 100% to 50%, and stolen ultimate duration rises from 10 to 20 seconds. Sinclair no longer has -35% Headshot Damage Reduction; Rabbit can jump.
How to adapt: Test Vexing Bolt at different travel times and angles: retargeting can try to find targets through walls or around corners, but the notes do not guarantee a hit. Check the changed T2 and T3 effects in-game, and verify Audience Participation’s cooldown behavior rather than assuming what the percentage describes.
Holliday: Powder Keg, Bounce Pad, and Lasso
What changed: Powder Keg charge time rises from one to two seconds and knock-up time falls by 15%; it no longer arms instantly if the player has the Bounce Pad modifier. Bounce Pad no longer expires after five seconds in the air, and its Spirit scaling falls from 0.9 to 0.4. It is more responsive for the player when landing and dealing damage. Spirit Lasso duration falls from 2.5 to 2.25 seconds, but lasts 1.5 seconds longer when using Bounce Pad.
How to adapt: Allow for the longer Powder Keg charge and test its arming timing with the Bounce Pad modifier. Recheck airborne Bounce Pad use and damage expectations: expiry and responsiveness changed, while lower Spirit scaling may affect damage. Account for the stated Lasso duration changes when comparing its two use cases.
Other hero changes
What changed: Abrams Infernal Resilience increases from 11% to 12%. Bebop’s Uppercut air-control lockout is reduced from 0.5 to 0.3 seconds. Dynamo Kinetic Pulse damage Spirit scaling increases from 1.4 to 1.8, and T3 adds +1 Charge. Grey Talon Spirit Snare cooldown falls from 37 to 34 seconds and T2 increases from +0.5 to +0.75 seconds. Haze Bullet Dance T3 Evasion rises from +40% to +60% and Dance Move Speed from +2 to +3. Kelvin’s Arctic Beam also slows roll distances by 20%. Seven’s Storm Cloud secondary ability delay falls from 2 seconds to 0.25 seconds. Shiv’s Serrated Knives no longer stops after hitting a Soul Orb. Viscous Goo Ball turn rate improves by 10%. Vindicta bullet damage falls from 11.7 to 11.4, Crow projectile speed from 4750 to 4250, and Assassinate T2 from +120 to +110. Vyper bullet damage growth rises from 0.32 to 0.36; Petrifying Bola’s petrify is no longer breakable, and Lethal Venom deals damage through petrify rather than cleansing it and dealing damage.
How to adapt: Recheck the affected ability levels and values when building or testing these heroes; the listed T2 and T3 changes apply to those ability levels, not necessarily to every rank. For Vyper, test the described petrify interaction directly rather than assuming additional effects.
Objectives and item tuning
What changed: All objectives take 50% less damage from Spirit Damage. Shrines are no longer vulnerable to Spirit Damage when out of range. Ammo Scavenger ammo falls from 15% to 10%; Swift Striker fire rate from 22% to 20%; Alchemical Fire base damage from 50 to 45; Bullet Lifesteal from 26% to 24%; Heroic Aura lifesteal from 18% to 16%. Spellslinger Headshots amp per headshot rises from 4% to 6%, while maximum stacks fall from 12 to 10. Berserker requires 120 damage per stack instead of 100.
How to adapt: When testing objective damage, separate Spirit Damage from other damage and check Shrine range; the notes only establish the out-of-range Spirit Damage change. Compare listed items using their revised values, but do not infer which item or damage type is optimal from these adjustments alone.
Follow the affected decisions
- Abrams build and counter guide
- Bebop build and counter guide
- Calico build and counter guide
- Dynamo build and counter guide
- Grey Talon build and counter guide
- Haze build and counter guide
- Holliday build and counter guide
- Heroic Aura item reference
- Berserker item reference
- Bullet Lifesteal item reference
- Alchemical Fire item reference
- Swift Striker item reference
Verify your match build · How current recommendations are checked
Earlier and later records
Archive coverage currently ends 2026-10-30; sources last successfully checked 2026-11-01. A source check does not establish a post-patch win rate.