Roadhog loses some initial power, gains more bullets

In Patch 1.12.0.2, Roadhog ended up being the most changed hero. The plump shotgun-man has always been the bane of so many other heroes. If you have 200 or less health, a hook from Roadhog was almost assuredly a death sentence. Even if you were a tankier hero, you didn’t walk away from a pull in good shape, if you even walked away at all.

In order to make Roadhog a little more forgiving to play against, his bullet damage has been reduced by a whopping 33%. That is a significant nerf to say the least. While he may still be able to cut a Tracer down with a single hook, the threshold for kills has certainly been raised. Maybe next time you get pulled, it won’t be a guaranteed death, just a probable one.

However, these nerfs do not come without buffs. The first (and strangest) change comes directed at Roadhog’s giant head. Turns out, Roadhog’s head hit-box was way bigger than other characters, so it has been reduced by 20%, making it harder to hit. His scrap gun has also been given five shots per clip ... er ... giant wad of trash, meaning he can get another shot in before having to reload. Finally, he now fires 30% faster than he used to.

While Roadhog’s hook still brings you in for a hug, the problem always lied in the brief stun after being let go. Roadhog essentially got the first move, able to shoot you before you could get away. Now that first shot will still be there, but it will do significantly less damage. However, Roadhog can follow that first shot up with a second far faster than he used to.

Will this remove Roadhog as a viable pick? Almost certainly not. The buffs here are more than fair to compensate for the damage being taken off. Will Roadhog feel more fair to play against? Probably, yes.