I want to preface this by saying I’m interested in a discussion about what value widow can bring moving forward relative to other snipers or sniper-like heroes, this isn’t a complaint post and I’m not really trying to make or get opinions on if the patch is good or bad (there is lots of that already in the OW threads).

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With widows range being cut roughly in half for full damage, and about 40% (I think) for squishy kill shots, are there still going to be any situations in game where it’s better to have a widow than an Ashe?

I mean like maps, team comp, enemy comp, etc where a widow pick actually provides more value (or potential value) assuming skill levels and all are the same across the heroes.

I’ve seen a lot of mixed comments regarding this, which I guess is expected given the polarized views on Widow in general - ranging from “this won’t make any difference” to “she’s a throw pick now”

Personally I think she doesn’t have any realistic advantages over Ashe anymore, because even with the midrange 1 shot potential she’s forced to take harder shots, in less forgiving conditions, and with much less ability to defend herself when compared to someone like Ashe. Especially with the similarity in their aim, anyone who can land a consistent headshot from Widows new range could just as easily hand the viper scope into hip combo with Ashe and get the same kill. Meanwhile Ashe can provide more value throughout the game with higher damage output, dynamite, and coach gun.

I imagine there will be specific situations where widow could be better, like a specific bend on a map or something, but I don’t see it being more than that.

What are your thoughts?