Summary
With Juno available from July 19–21 duringOverwatch 2Season 11, fans are eagerly exploring the intricacies of her kit. Revealed at BlizzCon 2023 asOverwatch 2’s newest support hero, Juno is set to be the hero-shooter’s 41st character overall. Notably, with the addition of a close to mid-range support hero with high mobility and a Hyper Ring, Season 12 is primed to feature an even faster-paced meta.
While tweaks to Juno’s abilities are possible before her officialOverwatch 2release, core aspects like her Glide Boost and Hyper Ring seem unlikely to change. This is further supported by Lead Gameplay Designer Alec Dawson’s comments in June, where he highlighted Juno bringing an ability “only one character has at the moment,” strongly suggesting the Hyper Ring is a defining feature. Additionally, considering Venture debuted in Unranked and Competitive play at the start of Season 10, it’s likely that Juno will be shaping the ranked meta at the beginning of Season 12.
Juno Brings Abundant Mobility Options to Overwatch 2’s Meta
Juno’s Hyper Ring Could Be A Strategic Game Changer
Juno brings a blend of support styles,seemingly merging Echo’s mobilitywith Ana’s healing potential. Her hitscan Mediblaster, akin to Ana’s Biotic Rifle, can heal allies and damage enemies without needing to switch between modes. This versatility, coupled with a gliding ability for a swift escape, allows Juno to effectively support her team while staying mobile on the battlefield.
Most significantly,Juno’s Hyper Ring, grants a 50% movement speed buff for 3 seconds, offering unique support capabilities compared to Lucio’s speed boost. The Hyper Ring, which has a 16-second cooldown starting upon activation, boosts allies' movement speed as they pass through the circle. When combined with Lucio’s consistent speed boost, this creates an exciting and untapped support synergy. Despite the 10% reduction to Lucio’s knockback ability in the July 12 hotfix, the pairing could still pose a formidable threat in Season 12.
“Juno’s Hyper Ring, grants a 50% movement speed buff for 3 seconds, offering unique support capabilities compared to Lucio’s speed boost.”
Similarly, whileLucio’s Speed Boost can be optimal in certain situations, it’s also viable to use it to get your team out of spawn and then switch to a different support character. Strategies that focus on quickly getting to the objective are common with heroes like Junker Queen, Lucio, and Symmetra. Juno offers a new opportunity with her Hyper Ring, which can be used to help one’s team reach a point quickly before potentially swapping.
Overwatch 2 Offers a Wealth of Movement Options
In 2022, Lead Balance Designer Joshua Noh stated that the maximum movement speed cap was set at 75%, though this value was subject to change as new heroes and strategies emerged. While it’s possible to combine abilities such asJunker Queen’s Commanding Shoutwith Juno’s Hyper Ring, there are limits to stacking them. Nevertheless, players can still strategically rotate their speed boosts to launch attacks into the enemy backline or cover large areas of the map. At the moment, the following characters have team-oriented speed abilities:
This list excludes characters with built-in movement speed that doesn’t benefit their team, such as Soldier: 76 and Tracer.
While the Hyper Ring seems like a valuable addition to any team’s kit, it should be especially useful in Rush or Brawl compositions,which are particularly effective on Flashpoint, Push, and Control maps. Interestingly, Juno’s introduction adds another layer of excitement to the roster. Her versatility and unique skillset make her appealing to players, even if she doesn’t become the dominant pick in the current meta. As such, she’s likely to be a popular pick at the start of Season 12.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
