Overwatch is preparing its annual April Fools event with a new mode called Underwatch, which continues the yearly tradition of introducing bizarre changes that developers cook up. The event will be two weeks where logic steps off the ledge and the game leans hard into absurd, googly-eyed shenanigans.
In Underwatch, physics will follow no rules, balance is taking a vacation, and every match is going to throw something goofy into the mix, which is exactly the point, as the mode exists for laughter, experimentation, and discovering strange ways to play. The event will start on April Fools Day (April 1) and go on for two weeks, until April 13.
During this time, players will be able to earn some rewards, which are yet to be revealed, and enjoy the non-canon chaos. Players can also decide for themselves if there's anything in Underwatch they'd like to see in the base game or added to Stadium.
The April Fools tradition at Overwatch has a track record of delivering genuinely inventive nonsense. In 2023, the Very Serious Patch Notes added features like keeping 50% of ultimate charge when swapping heroes, a tank passive that granted huge ultimate charge for getting the final blow on another tank, and Orisa's nightmarish Javelin that granted her the power of flight. 2024's Balanced Overwatch then added 50% smaller heroes, 'on-fire' mechanics that could boost hero damage, and massively increased projectile damage. Last year's Totally Normalwatch shrunk D.Va, let Hanzo ride Orisa like a horse, and turned Reinhardt into a drifting racecar.
These April Fools patches are also sometimes used to trial changes and abilities the developers may see as too wacky to simply place straight into the game. This year's event includes some experimental tweaks worth watching. Baptiste now does more healing for direct grenade hits, Hanzo's Storm Arrows now ricochet once upon impact, Zarya's Particle Barrier now shares a two charge system with Projected Barrier, and Soldier 76's ultimate now allows for headshots if that's where the player is aiming.
It's always worth keeping your eyes peeled as to which wacky parts of the patch notes could realistically stick around. Whether these experimental tweaks represent genuine balance ideas or pure comedic chaos remains to be seen once the event begins.