Overwatch's D.Va Receives Stat Details for New Micro Missile Ability

Overwatch's D.Va has some interesting changes being tested on the PTR that alter parts of her gameplay while also adding a brand new missile-firing ability.

The changes that most Overwatch players have likely been concerned with recently are those being made to Mercy and her resurrecting power, but D.Va's changes are nothing to scoff at either. The tanky aggressor currently has three changes listed in the PTR, tweaks that include a buff, a nerf, and a new ability.

Recently, suggestions for D.Va changes were brought up on the Overwatch forums where players pitched their solutions for the tank. Geoff Goodman, the principal designer for Overwatch, responded in the thread and said that changes were actually already in the works.

Since then, the buffs and nerfs have officially been added to the PTR, all of the potential changes able to be seen below.

• Micro Missiles (New Ability)
• D.Va fires a barrage of small rockets that detonate on impact, dealing damage in a limited radius around each explosion. These can be fired while D.Va is using any other ability or firing her Fusion Cannons
• Defense Matrix
• Defense Matrix's resource meter will now deplete twice as quickly
• Boosters
• Fusion Cannons can now be fired while flying

Addressing the changes in a developers' comment, it appears that the core problem with D.Va that prompted the changes has to do with balancing her Defense Matrix ability. The Matrix can block tons of incoming damage, but the Overwatch balance team feels that it's too strong at the moment. So, instead of simply nerfing it and leaving D.Va in a pitiful state, they're giving her an additional ability to compensate for the nerfs.

But while the new ability for D.Va is exciting, it also prompted more questions about the move's details such as how many missiles players can expect to come their way, and more importantly, how much damage they'll do. , addressed the questions on the Blizzard forums and provided a tentative look at the ability's details.

Right now here are the stats:

• Number of missiles: 18
• Shots per second: 11
• Explosion Damage: 8 (has damage falloff)
• Impact Damage: 4
• Radius: 1.5m (for comparison, Pharah's rockets are 2.5m radius)
• Cooldown: 8s

Goodman reminded players that the ability's stats are subject to change, just like anything else that's being tested, and informed players that they'd likely get a better feel for it once they used it on the PTR.