September 8 balance pass changes D.Mon, Sierra, Freja and tank cooldowns
The September balance pass adjusts multiple tank and damage heroes, including D.Mon, Sierra and Freja. Winston gets more frequent but shorter barriers, while Zarya’s personal barrier cooldown increases.
The short version
- D.Mon Plasma Saber damage: 65 → 60
- Sierra rifle projectile speed: 90 → 120
- Sierra rifle and Tracking Shot damage: 9 → 8.5
- Freja Take Aim explosion damage: 80 → 75
- Winston barrier cooldown: 12 → 10 seconds in 5v5
- Zarya personal barrier cooldown: 11 → 12 seconds in 5v5
RankUp's take
D.Mon’s Plasma Saber damage drops from 65 to 60, while Call Mech’s transformation becomes faster. Her portable weapon becomes more accurate but begins damage falloff sooner, favoring closer engagements over distant sustained fire.
Sierra’s Helix Rifle projectiles become faster, but the damage of both Helix Rifle and Tracking Shot falls from 9 to 8.5. Tremor Charge’s cooldown drops from 8.5 to seven seconds. Freja loses damage on both her automatic crossbow bolts and Take Aim’s explosive bolt.
In 5v5, Winston’s barrier cooldown falls from 12 to ten seconds and its duration falls from eight to seven seconds. Zarya’s personal barrier cooldown increases from 11 to 12 seconds; the notes leave Projected Barrier unchanged.
These changes reward checking your actual protection window before committing. Winston can repeat engagements sooner, but his team has less time inside each barrier. Sierra players should use the more responsive projectiles and shorter Tremor Charge window without assuming old damage breakpoints still apply. Later September hotfixes also change D.Mon, so read those alongside this patch.
What this means for you
Recheck damage breakpoints and barrier timing. D.Mon players should also read the later September 17 hotfix.
Heroes affected
Summary and analysis written by RankUp. Overwatch is a trademark of Blizzard Entertainment; RankUp is not affiliated with Blizzard.