Torbjörn is a Damage hero in Overwatch and Overwatch 2. He is one of the 21 heroes included in the game's release on 24 May 2016.
Overview
Torbjörn’s extensive arsenal includes a rivet gun and hammer, as well as a personal forge that he can use to build turrets.
Abilities
-15% received (tanks)
- Does not stack with itself or the passive from another damage role hero.
- Stacks multiplicatively with other modifiers that affect healing received.
- Objects that deal damage, such as turrets, may also apply the effect.
- Self-damage does not apply the effect.
- No longer has reduced effectiveness for tank heroes.
Arcing projectile
- Damage per second: 137.25 while firing (112.7 overall w/reload)
- Automatically reloaded if Torbjörn has his Forge Hammer equipped for 2 seconds.
- Turret will target enemy hit by primary fire if within range and line of sight.
Shotgun (projectile)125 - 37.5 per shot
- Damage per second: 178.57 while firing (135.54 overall w/reload)
- Automatically reloaded if Torbjörn has his Forge Hammer equipped for 2 seconds.
Melee- Damage per second: 100
- Weapon swap time is 0.4 seconds.
- Torbjörn cannot use quick melee with Forge Hammer equipped. Attempting to will swing the hammer normally instead.
12 seconds (in combat)
Arcing projectile (deploying turret)
Hitscan (turret fire)2.5 seconds (deploy time)
40 meters (attack range)
- Damage per second: 48
- Turret deploy can be thrown to a maximum distance of 15 meters on ground level.
- Turret automatically attacks the closest enemy within line of slight and continues attacking that enemy until it is either dead or out of sight.
- Target can be changed if the player damages said enemy with Rivet Gun's primary fire.
- Turret can be manually destroyed using the Interact key, which instantly inflicts 10,000 damage to it. This can be done while Torbjörn is dead.
- Cannot be done while the Turret is building itself.
- Turret cannot be redeployed if it has dealt or received damage within the last 3 seconds. The Deploy Turret key will appear colored to indicate this.
- If the Turret is destroyed during this time, including by the Interact key, Deploy Turret will go on a longer cooldown.
- The Turret projectile is not affected by
Defense Matrix, Kinetic Grasp, Javelin Spin, Deflect or Amplification Matrix, but its shots interact normally with these effects. - Turret can be placed on Petal Platform regardless of which was deployed first. When the platform is destroyed, the turret falls on ground.
- The projectiles destroys fences and other breakables it collides with while in flight.
- Turret damage increased from 12 to 15.
Rivet Gun: 0.5 second recovery (alternate fire)
Forge Hammer: 0.6 second recovery
- Damage per second: 175 while firing primary
- Damage per second: 250 while firing secondary
- Damage per second: 91.67 while using forge hammer
- Restores 6 ammo upon activation.
- Increases Rivet Gun's primary fire rate 37.5% and secondary fire by 40%.
- Increases Forge Hammer's swing rate by ~41% and decreases the initial swing time by 0.11 seconds.
- Overload's movement speed buff does not count towards global movement speed buff cap.
Arcing projectile
Area of effect (pools)1 ammo per 0.016 (manual rapid fire)
10 seconds (pools)
- Torbjörn's weapon is temporarily replaced by his claw, which shoots out balls of molten slag.
- The projectiles bounce from walls, and upon landing on ground create pools that deal damage over time.
- Against armor, the pools deal 290 damage per second.
- Damage from pools do not stack: two pools in the same area deal the same damage as one pool.
- The projectiles can be destroyed while in air by Defense Matrix, Kinetic Grasp and Javelin Spin and reflected by Deflect, but the pools are unaffected.
- The impact damage from Molten Core can be affected by damage amplification, but the damage over time cannot.
- Rivet Gun's ammo is replenished upon activation.
Perks
Minor Perks
A Minor Perk can be chosen at level 2.
- Stacks additively with other movement speed bonuses.
Major perks
A Major Perk can be chosen at level 3.
- Cannot attach to fences and other breakables.
- The turret must be placed before Overload is activated to take effect.
- The turret has a 2 second upgrade delay during which it cannot fire.
- If Overload is activated when the turret is being deployed, it will start upgrading once it has been constructed.
- The duration is counted from the activation of Overload, meaning that upgrade time included the actual uptime of the upgraded turret is only 3 seconds.
- The upgraded turret gains +150 health and in addition to its regular fire, it shoots a burst of 3 missiles every 1.5 seconds each missile dealing 30 damage.
Hero-specific options
| Setting name | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Interact cancels deploy turret | Off (default) | Pressing Ability 1 throws out a new turret. If you press Ability 1 during the cast time of Quick Melee or Overload it will instead break the current turret. |
| On | Pressing interact breaks turret at any point after it is fully built, except during cast time of Quick Melee, Overload and Molten Core. | |
| Hide Overload timer | Off (default) | Timer UI element is displayed around the crosshair. |
| On | Timer UI element is hidden. | |
| Relative aim sensitivity during Molten Core | 0% ... 500% (default: 100%) | Multiplier to base aim sensitivity during Molten Core. |
Strategy
Torbjörn is the tool-tip damage-dealer that has most abilities which are useful for protecting (zoning) an area. His Rivet Gun is a very dangerous weapon due to its high damage, but its main weakness is arcing in mid- to -long range. His turret is his main tool for zoning an area, as he can deploy it anywhere and let it automatically build itself to help him in a fight. Forge Hammer can be used to deal damage at close-range or repair his damaged turret. Overload is a power-up to himself, giving more maximum health with armor and enhancing offensive powers. Molten Core is a great area-denial ultimate that can force the enemies to walk back before being burnt to death on a high-damage magma floor. Given all these, he still has major weaknesses. Other than Overload, he lacks any means of increasing his mobility. When unable to deploy his Turret to help him in a fight, his full power will be greatly reduced. Despite having the shortest model of all heroes, he possess one of the largest hitboxes of his class, making him vulnerable to a weapon with a large spread. He is best at zoning, but weaker at flanking and fighting aggressively.
Weapons & Abilities
- Rivet Gun: Torbjörn's primary weapon. This gun is an arcing weapon but packs a punch. Rivet Gun has two firing modes: a single arc projectile, and a shotgun fire. Both modes can headshot.
- The primary fire has a bit of a slow fire rate. Try to aim for body shots to maximize accuracy.
- The secondary fire sends a burst of ammo out. While there are 10 bullets per shot, it costs only 3 rounds.
- Forge Hammer: Torbjörn's secondary weapon. The hammer is a useful tool as it heals turrets for 50 health per swing. As a last resort, this can be used as a weapon.
- The Forge Hammer can only heal Torbjörn's own turret; it can't heal turrets other than than the player's.
- The swing speed is relatively low, so it is not recommended to use it as a weapon.
- Deploy Turret: Torbjörn builds a turret that automatically locks on to enemies.
- The turret takes some time to fully deploy; it can be destroyed while deploying.
- The turret can only be healed via the Forge Hammer.
- Overload: Torbjörn gains overhealth as well as attack, reload, and movement speed.
- Use to save yourself with temporary overhealth or body block your turret from damage.
- Although Overload increases reload speed, it is preferable to reload before activating Overload to better utilize the attack speed.
- Overload grants Torbjörn a small increase in movement speed that could save you from certain Ultimates.
- Molten Core (Ultimate): Torbjörn's Ultimate ability. Torbjörn throws multiple orbs of molten lava that spread out when they hit the floor.
- Torbjörn can place up to 10 pools of molten lava that do not add up in damage, so spread them out as much as possible, either in one large area or multiple choke points.
- Molten Core does extra damage against armor, so it works well against tanks and Brigitte's Ultimate.
General strategies
- Players are advised to know the map well, in order to deploy his gear the most effectively.[3]
- Torbjörn is most commonly used on Defense because of his ability to cover choke-points so effectively. One option on Attack is to deploy your turrets on top of a payload, effectively creating a mobile turret.
- While many players focus on Torbjörn's turret, it should be noted that Torbjörn himself deals a considerable amount of damage - his shotgun alt-fire does massive damage at close range, and his ordinary fire has solid range and does a not-inconsiderable amount of damage, especially with a headshot. It is important to make full use of both Torbjörn himself as well as his turret; focusing too much on using your turret will result in a lesser contribution to the team.
- When using Molten Core, try to spread it out as much as possible, as overlapping pools don't add extra damage. Molten Core does more damage against armor than other forms of health.
- A common mistake players make is they will sometimes stay by their turret and constantly use the Forge Hammer. This can be a good idea to use for making sure the turret survives. However, it can leave you vulnerable to Pharahs or Junkrats, as their explosives will damage you and the turret.
- Remember that Deploy Turret has a very quick cool-down (10s). Change your turret's position often to catch enemies off guard.
Match-Ups and Team Synergy
Tank
| Hero | Match-Up | Team Synergy |
|---|---|---|
 D.Va |
Thanks to D.Va's armor and Defense Matrix, she can not only endure a great amount of Turret fire, she can also fly right up to it without taking any damage and gun it down point blank. If D.Va is attacking your Turret from far away, you can continue repairing it since she suffers major damage falloff, but if she's attacking at close range, don't bother; her damage output vastly supersedes your ability to repair your Turret. Instead, begin attacking back with your alt-fire; this will either deal major damage to her or cause her to put up Defense Matrix, giving your Turret a few extra seconds of life and providing time for your team to come assist you. Be careful when activating Molten Core near D.Va, as her Defense Matrix can completely negate it. Direct combat is mostly even, helped if activate Overload to boost your offense and defense, but overall D.Va is one of your greatest headaches to deal with. | (To be added) |
 Orisa |
(To be added) | In a defensive setup, Orisa is one of your best friends, as her barriers can help keep your Turret safe. That being said, it's generally not a great idea for your whole team, or even just you and Orisa, to all huddle behind the barrier and the Turret; should an enemy manage to flank you, you're all grouped up together, making yourselves easy targets for large-area attacks such as Junkrat's grenades. Also, be willing to compromise with the Orisa; sometimes she'll need the barrier to be protecting the team, in which circumstances you should place your Turret in a covered location where it doesn't need Orisa's protection. |
 Reinhardt |
Reinhardt's shield can block your Turret's damage as well as that from your Rivet Gun with ease. His Fire Strike will deal 100 damage to your Turret, even if it's being defended by a barrier. If Reinhardt is blocking your shots, so long as the enemy team isn't attacking your Turret, provide supporting fire with your Rivet Gun against his shield; with luck, you'll break the shield, leaving him vulnerable for both you and your team. If you're feeling daring, you can even run right up to him and try to get behind his shield to attack him; should he drop it, he'll be vulnerable to your Turret's fire, at which point you can back away from his hammer's range and shoot back. If an enemy Reinhardt is Charging your way, it may be worth it to quickly activate Overload; while ideally you would like to avoid the Charge altogether, if you do end up being hit by it, Overload could save your life. If Charge is on cooldown, Reinhardt is an ideal Molten Core target; your magma will rip through his armor, and without Charge his mobility is nonexistent, forcing him to walk through the magma and die. | A friendly Reinhardt is extremely helpful for keeping your Turret safe. That being said, you are just one member of your team, so you shouldn't always expect your Reinhardt to babysit your Turret and not protect anybody else. Instead, if your Reinhardt is willing to keep your Turret safe, relocate it so that it's near the front lines with the rest of your team; that way Reinhardt can protect both your team and your Turret at the same time. |
 Roadhog |
Roadhog can take a lot of your Turret's firepower and still survive, but his Scrap Gun can't deal much damage to it from a distance and his Chain Hook cannot grab it. He'll most likely try to get behind your defenses to hook you away from the Turret and kill you so the Turret is easy pickings for him and his team. However, if you manage to keep your distance, him soaking up damage can rapidly fill your Ultimate ability, and his slow mobility means Molten Core can hit him for a great deal of damage. Overload is a useful tool against his Scrap Gun, potentially even helping you survive Roadhog's Hook combo. | (To be added) |
 Sigma |
(To be added) | (To be added) |
 Wrecking Ball |
(To be added) | (To be added) |
 Winston |
Winston can block all firepower coming from you and your Turret with his Barrier Projector. With a Barrier up at close range, Winston can zap the Turret with his Tesla Cannon and destroy it with relative ease, all while damaging you too in his weapon's wide cone of fire. However, your Rivet Gun's alt-fire is exceptionally powerful at Winston's close range, especially when empowered by Overload, letting you deal significant amounts of damage if all your shots hit. At long range, if he doesn't have a barrier up, you can pelt him with standard fire at a distance his Tesla Cannon can't reach. Winston's damage output is significantly lower than yours at any range; if he tries to harass you and your Turret, fight back with your Rivet Gun and you may be able to fend him off or take him down. | (To be added) |
 Zarya |
Zarya can gather cheap energy from your Turret's automated fire, while boasting enough health to absorb its attacks without the aid of a barrier. Her Projected Barrier can greatly aid another teammate looking to destroy the Turret too. If she has a full charge, she can run at it point black to shred it with her laser, or conversely she can peek behind corners and shoot her alternate fire at it. While a Zarya isn't the biggest threat in the world, she's also a pain to kill, so expect to request assistance when dealing with her. | (To be added) |
Damage
| Hero | Match-Up | Team Synergy |
|---|---|---|
 Ashe |
(To be added) | (To be added) |
 Bastion |
If you have a Turret already set up, it can deal minor damage to Bastion if it's walking past its view. However, if an enemy Bastion is receiving Turret fire, it can either turn a corner and heal or, if no other enemies are around, transform into Sentry Configuration and mow down your Turret with its superior firepower. This can be especially troublesome if you're defending an Escort mission, since the Bastion can simply ride atop the payload and fire away. In situations where an enemy Bastion is already set up in position, it can be difficult to place a Turret without the Bastion noticing it and shredding it while it's still setting up. All in all, Bastion is essentially a superior Turret who can aim, so either simultaneously attack him to take him down or regroup with your team. | (To be added) |
 Cassidy |
At a distance, Cassidy has an advantage as he can peek out of a corner, shoot a powerful revolver shot, then hide once more. If his focus isn't on you, though, his light health means your Turret can kill him quickly enough. His Flashbang does affect your Turret, so be extra wary about being caught by surprise by Cassidy. If you're caught in the Flashbang as well, the Cassidy will have to pick who to kill with Fan the Hammer, since one clip most likely can't take out both of you. He'll most likely go after you first due to the turret's immobility. If you hear Deadeye activating, rather than continuing to repair your Turret, it's best to run for cover to make sure you and your Turret aren't both shot down. | (To be added) |
 Doomfist |
(To be added) | (To be added) |
 Echo |
(To be added) | (To be added) |
 Genji |
At a distance, Genji can heckle your Turret with his Shurikens, which suffer no damage falloff. However, this damage is minor enough that you can keep hammering your Turret without worrying about its destruction. While Genji can grab the attention of the Turret and reflect its damage back at it, he cannot reflect enough of its own fire to destroy it. If he's not reflecting, Genji is easy enough for your Turret to take out if he's not careful. In a direct fight, Genji has the upper hand, so try to keep your Turret up before he gets the chance to close the distance. If he does approach you without a Turret up, it's a good idea to throw down a Turret; even if the Turret takes some time to set up, the Genji will have difficulty killing you while taking gradual damage from the Turret. | (To be added) |
 Hanzo |
Hanzo's Sonic Arrow doesn't affect buildings, and as such he cannot warn his teammates of the exact location of your Turret. However, it can still mark you, and if you're babysitting your Turret, it will be easy enough for the enemy team to intuit its position as well. With his extreme range, Hanzo can easily peek his head around corners and fire potshots at your Turret to take it out without letting it retaliate. Conversely, with Storm Arrows he can hit your stationary Turret with a burst of damage before it can gun him down. If facing a Hanzo, try to keep your Turret behind a barrier or another form of cover if possible. | (To be added) |
 Junkrat |
Junkrat's specialty is firing powerful shots with the downside of low accuracy. However, against a stationary target like your Turret, his low accuracy is a non-issue, making him one of your greatest foes. He can either lob grenades in a large arc from a distance or pop them around corners to make quick work of not only your Turret, but you as well if you're caught in the blast. If you're being harassed by a Junkrat's explosives, let your team know; if they can't deal with him, be ready to abandon your Turret if necessary. His low mobility can make him a prime target for Molten Core, unless he has a Concussion Mine ready, in which case he can use it to flee from your Ultimate. | (To be added) |
 Mei |
Mei can wall off the Turret to cut off its line of sight, and her Endothermic Blaster is capable of freezing it like an enemy player. Her Icicle can also be used to destroy your Turret from further range while it attacks other targets. But her options are limited, and often times blocking off the Turret just creates a stalemate where neither side can attack one another. If Mei tries fighting you and your Turret at close range, space yourself from it so you don't both get frozen and attack back with your Rivet Gun. Mei specializes in ambush tactics and one-on-one fights; she can't handle two opponents at once, even if they're just you and your own Turret. A Mei using Cryo-Freeze is a prime target for Molten Core; while she'll be immune while in her ice cube, as soon as she leaves it she'll be surrounded by a pool of magma with no way to get out of it other than to wade through it. She does have the option of using her Ice Wall to elevate herself, but in doing so she can end up making herself a target. | (To be added) |
 Pharah |
Pharah can very easily deal with your Turret, dealing max damage direct hits onto it as much as she likes. However, in a defensive setup with proper protection, your Turret serves as an excellent area denial that is a great nuisance to Pharah. Set up your turret where it can cover the most airspace, and be careful when she ducks behind cover to engage the Turret. This can be especially helpful if you're protected by a Reinhardt or Orisa's barrier; they can soak up Pharah's negligible damage, and your Turret can shoot her down and keep her out of the air. | (To be added) |
 Reaper |
While Reaper has the damage to tear through you and your Turret very easily, his range is extremely limited. If he's roaming around in the open, your Turret can fire away and he can do nothing about it. However, he takes longer to kill than other Damage heroes, and can Shadow Step closer to the turret, taking it down with ease at point blank. If he approaches your Turret this way, alert your team for help, and if no one's available, attack the Reaper with your Rivet Gun rather than trying to repair it, since the two of you firing together can kill him quicker than he can kill your Turret. With his Wraith Form he will most likely survive an assault if you activate Overload, so instead use the opportunity to regroup with your team. | (To be added) |
 Soldier: 76 |
Soldier: 76 has a decent attacking range and can dispose of your Turret fairly easily, with his Helix Rockets serving as a devastating first attack. His Biotic Field allows himself and his team to tank a lot more damage from the turret as they fire on it, which can lead to a prolonged battle. However, if he's used up his Helix Rockets, he's much more vulnerable to your Turret at long distances as your damage will outpace his. Place your Turret in an area where he can only attack from a distance and can't sneak up around the corner on it, and you should be alright. | (To be added) |
 Sombra |
Sombra can easily shut down your Turret using Hack, but only if the Turret is distracted as she'll be unable to complete a Hack while being attacked by it. This can be difficult if her team isn't nearby providing the Turret with another target; if Sombra is attempting to attack you alone, she won't be able to properly complete the Hack, and you should be able to handle her just fine. Be wary of EMP though, as it will temporarily shut your Turret down. | (To be added) |
 Symmetra |
The area of effect from Symmetra Photon Projector's secondary fire can deal significant damage to your Turret if it's not protected. If you force her out of cover, though, Symmetra has no real counter to the Turret other than getting close enough to attack it with her primary fire. If you fight Symmetra alongside your Turret, you can usually eliminate her before she destroys your Turret. However, if your Turret is near destruction and she has ample health, quickly flee, since she can transfer her high charge to you and swiftly gun you down. Photon Barrier can halt the spray of your Molten Core, as well as cut off your Turret's fire. | (To be added) |
 Torbjörn |
Torbjörn match-ups are rare since both will usually be decently far behind enemy lines in a stable defensive position. It's difficult to set up a Turret in an area that another Torbjörn has locked down, since the previous Torbjörn's Turret will begin firing upon the new Turret as soon as it goes up. In situations where both Torbjörns have Turrets suddenly appear in range of one another (such as a Payload carrying a Turret turning a corner to another Torbjörn's defensive setup), focus on keeping your Turret alive and let your team try to take out the opposing Turret. If you see a Torbjörn walking around with no Turret, try to attack with your Rivet Gun alongside your Turret's fire to quickly eliminate him before he can set up a new Turret (or before he can fall back on a Turret he has up elsewhere). | (To be added) |
 Tracer |
Tracer is perhaps the most affected by the Turret out of all Damage heroes. While her Pulse Bomb is designed to annihilate static defenses like the Turret, her tiny health means that she will take a lot of damage getting to it, and that's assuming Torbjörn's team doesn't notice her, which is highly unlikely. If Tracer is heckling you and your Turret, keep repairing it as long as you can; you can't handle Tracer that well on your own, but if you can keep your Turret alive long enough, its tracking fire can take her down before she can destroy it. | (To be added) |
 Widowmaker |
Widowmaker can stand far out of the reach of your Turret and easily land full-charged shots. Even without the ability to perform headshots on your Turret, she has much greater range than it does and much greater firepower. Her Grappling Hook not only lets her reach optimal positions to snipe your Turret, but also to take you out as well. Be wary and try not to place your Turret in locations where a Widowmaker can easily snipe it; instead, either place it behind cover where she won't have a clear shot, or ask a teammate to protect it with a barrier. | (To be added) |
Support
| Hero | Match-Up | Team Synergy
|
|---|---|---|
 Ana |
Of all enemy Support heroes, Ana has the best chance of taking you down. She has superior range and can deal high damage to your Turret over time, even while it is under your care. Her Sleep Dart, while difficult to aim, can put you out of commission during Overload or when using Molten Core, so be wary when attempting to go on a rampage. | A Nano-Boosted, Overloaded Torbjörn can be comically powerful. With that being said, your damage output isn't quick or accurate enough to get as much use out of Nano-Boost than the likes of Genji or Reinhardt; unless you're in an emergency or in need of a good laugh, it's generally best to not ask for a Nano-Boost from Ana and let her empower someone else. |
 Baptiste |
(To be added) | (To be added) |
 Brigitte |
Brigitte can use her shield to distract your turret for a moment, but otherwise, she is not threatening to it because of her short range. Your turret will also quickly outpace her repair packs, and your shotgun tears her apart at close range. | (To be added) |
 Lúcio |
Lúcio's strongest asset is his unpredictable movement, which is no problem at all for your auto-aiming Turret. If he gets within its range, his only option is to flee, since he has no chance to defeat it at any range. The one thing you'll need to worry about is if he and his team make a strong push with a Sound Barrier; when his team has enhanced health, your Turret will find it extremely difficult to kill anyone before it's demolished. | (To be added) |
 Mercy |
Mercy can damage boost allies attacking your Turret, and she can keep her patient healed to withstand its low damage output. In an emergency situation if she's alone, she may attempt to directly attack you and your Turret using her Caduceus Blaster, but this would result in her taking significant damage in the process. If she's alone, your Turret can deal with her pretty easily even if she uses Guardian Angel to hover between dead comrades. More often than not, though, she'll be hiding behind her team, where it's too dangerous for you to venture out to. | (To be added) |
 Moira |
(To be added) | (To be added) |
 Zenyatta |
While Zenyatta cannot place an Orb of Discord on your Turret, he can place it on you, which can greatly assist his team in destroying your setup. While alone, Zenyatta can charge up Orb Volleys to deal quick burst damage to your Turret; however, if your team is on the front lines keeping you safe, you should be able to repair your Turret between volleys. If Zenyatta attempts to fire standard orbs at your Turret, he'll be leaving himself exposed and will most likely be shot down by the Turret before he can eliminate it. While your turret damage generally outpaces his healing, Transcendence will outpace Molten Core and your turret damage. | (To be added) |
Story
Torbjörn Lindholm (called "Torby" by his friends)[4] is one of the greatest weaponsmiths and engineers in the world.[5] He had a low opinion of omnics, believing them to be incapable of empathy, instead acting purely on logic,[4] and disagreed with giving them the same rights as humans.[6] His 'adoption' of Bastion, however, has caused him to question his antipathy to robots and omnics,[7] and while still advocating for less reliance on AI, he has taken a more liberal view of the integration of omnics into society.[8]
"Allt är inte guld som glimmar" (All that glitters is not gold) is one of his favourite phrases.[9] Jack Morrison considers Torbjörn's mind to be among the greatest humanity has ever produced.[10] He has above average resilience.[8]
Background
Torbjörn Lindholm was born in Gothenburg, Sweden.[8] More than once, he embarked on a fool's errand, and his mother would often tell him "Don't buy the pig while it's still in the bag." She knew what her son was up to, and how it would end.[11]
Torbjörn displayed an incredible genius for mechanical engineering and design from a young age. Even before he finished his primary schooling, it was clear what career path he would take, and sure enough, he left for university to pursue more advanced degrees. He attended Linköping University, where he met Ingrid. At the time, she was working on biogenic textile engineering, but her material was cost-prohibitively expensive. She was on the verge of quitting when Torbjörn met her. He saw several practical applications for even small amounts of her fiber, such as in advanced circuitry. After graduation, Ingrid retired from her field, but remained aquainted with Torbjörn. The two later married and had several children.[8]
Pre-Crisis
After graduation, Torbjörn joined SST Laboratories,[8] where he helped design the E54 Bastion unit.[12] He also assisted in founding the Ironclad Guild, where he worked in R&D.[13] He helped design the Titan.[8] He gained notoriety for designing weapons systems used by countries around the world.[13] His belief that technology must serve a better vision for humanity put him at odds with his employers, who desired to control his weapons using networked computer intelligence. He had a deep mistrust of sentient robotic intelligence, which many of his peers wrote off as paranoia.[13]
After the Bastion and Titan were deployed, Torbjörn began to speak out publicly against the growing reliance on AI in all fields of life. To Torbjörn, robots were nothing more than tools, and to needlessly complicate them beyond their intended function risked humanity's future. As omnics became more ubiquitous in human civilization, Torbjörn was one of the Omnica Corporation's strongest detractors. He argued that any creature made by humanity would accumulate the worst aspects of humanity. What would happen when humans built machines smart enough to make their own choices, to make their own repairs? Omnica countered that their omnics were not sentient, that failsafes had been built in to avoid such an eventuality. While Torbjorn was a brilliant engineer, his political opinions were poison. Many Ironclad tried and failed to convince him that it would be better to lobby for better guardrails for AI and omnics, rather than arguing for their disbandment.[8]
Omnica won the battle of public opinion, and the proliferation of omnics continued. As a result of his hardline positions, Torbjörn eventually found himself unwelcome in the majority of engineering firms, all of which had pivoted to rely more on AI. With much of his credibility destroyed, Torbjörn still objected to the increased presence of robotics in everyday life. Even after the decline of Omnica, his continued resistance to AI, especially in light of the god programs' improvement of society, struck people as ill-advised.[8]
Torbjörn returned to Gothenburg, choosing to devote time to his family and work rather than continuing to lobby against AI. However, his mistrust of the technology remained, and in his view, the world was making one bad decision after another.[8]
The Omnic Crisis
Torbjörn during the Omnic Crisis
Early Service
Torbjörn's worst fears were realized when the robot populations of the world turned against their human creators during the Omnic Crisis.[13] He was in Gothenburg when the war began, and ironically, his anti-AI position spared his family. Under the control of Anubis, omnics turned on their human owners, but Torbjörn had never allowed domestic robots in his home. The combination of no omnics and a hidden turret-powered security system made the Lindholm household the safest place in Gothenburg. During the battle, he recognized some of the warbots of his own designs, such as the E54 Bastion and Titan.[8]
With omnic forces rampaging across Europe and the world beyond, Torbjörn was immediately drafted into service. He did not resist, and if anything, relished in it. For the first time since university, Torbjörn felt that the world could be made better. That after the war, the world would be ready to listen to his suggestions. Before leaving Gothenburg however, he outfitted the city with the same weaponry and defenses he'd previously used to defend his family. The installation took only days, and he considered it well worth his time.[8]
Torbjörn deploys the Luftförsvarsnätverk
A few weeks into the war, Torbjörn was summoned by the Swedish National Chemical, Biological, Radiation, and Nuclear Defense Center to complete and deploy the Luftförsvarsnätverk. His deployment of the turret system in Gothenburg had attracted the attention of the Swedish government and was making headlines across Europe and the rest of the world. He was deemed "The Man WHo Would Save Sweden," a title that Torbjörn objected to on the basis of all the work that was being done by other hands. Nevertheless, he said goodbye to Ingrid, promising to return when Sweden was truly safe. While deploying the Luftförsvarsnätverk would have been an impossible task in lesserhands, for Torbjörn, it was the challenge he'd been waiting for all his life. Building off the work he'd done in Gothenburg, he built the foundations of the Luftförsvarsnätverk, assembling a team from the greatest minds Sweden had to offer. Together, they took advantage of the resources provided by the Swedish government, and deployed the Luftförsvarsnätverk with breathneck speed.[8]
Recruitment Into Overwatch
While not outright confirmed, there are those who believe this monumental act of engineering is what convinced Overwatch to take Torbjörn seriously.[8] Whatever the truth of the matter, it is known that Torbjörn was recruited into Overwatch because of his engineering genius,[13] though his recruitment was far from conventional. Torbjörn had heard of Overwatch's creation (a special taskforce created by the United Nations) through the Ironclad Guild, and had watched the organization's early recruitment with interest. Upon hearing that Overwatch intended engineers to be part of a support team rather than field agents in their own right, he decided it was down to him to show them the error of their ways.[8]
Believing he could make a contribution, Torbjörn returned to Gothenburg to visit his family. After several days, he proceeded directly to the Overwatch training facility, where he was granted admission after admitting himself. He was made the fifth member[8] of the Overwatch strike team. Over the years, his many inventions proved integral to ending the conflict.[13]
Mission to Canada
Torbjörn in Canada
Alongside Jack Morrison and Mina Liao, he took part in an operation with the Canadian Special Forces to take out the Detroit omnium.[14]
Closing Days
| “ | Call us the janitors of the apocalypse. | „ |
| ~ Torbjörn after the expansion of Overwatch's charter |
Torbjörn and Liao
After the Awakening, Overwatch was given an opening to strike at Anubis directly. Liao and Torbjorn worked together to compose a picture of Anubis's defenses and propose a route into its facility. As most of Anubis's forces at this point consisted of Bastions and Titans, Torbjorn was especially useful in the op's planning, and was thus able to offer expert support. The rest of the strike team worked with the Egyptian military and successfully stormed Anubis's base, deactivating the god program.[8]
While Anubis had been shut down, this was not the end of the war, as Anubis's loyalists continued to wreck havoc. Torbjörn and the rest of the team were deployed to places such as Wellington, Jakarta, and Baltimore before the war's end.[8]
With the war over, a brief but vicious political battle erupted over the future of Overwatch. Special interests dragged every skeleton they could out of the closet to stymie the organization, in Torbjörn's case, his contributions to the Bastion and Titan designs. However, Overwatch won the political battle, and its charter was expanded to rebuild the world after the Omnic Crisis. After the decision, Torbjörn was heard to mutter in range of a microphone, "Call us the janitors of the apocalypse."
Overwatch
Operation White Dome
| “ | I told him that you would have to agree to any name he chose, so let’s hope it's a good one (though I fear that may be beyond his abilities, given some of the ridiculous names he gives the characters in his "true stories"). I'm getting sick of this hospital, so I am hoping to return soon. | „ |
| ~ Part of Torbjörn's letter to his wife |
Torbjörn in Operation White Dome
After Anubis's defeat,[8] Torbjörn took part in Operation White Dome, where he and other Overwatch members were deployed to Istanbul to deal with entrenched omnic forces[1] still loyal to Anubis. As soon as they landed, the omnics opened fire, and while the robots were defeated, Torbjörn was seriously injured,[1] losing his left arm and right eye.[15] Reinhardt Wilhelm was able to save his life however,[1] stabilizing him.[8]
After the battle, Torbjörn was taken in for medical treatment[15] at Gothenburg.[8] Young family friend Angela Ziegler was able to visit him, which pleased him greatly. On the other hand, Reinhardt stayed by his bedside, being a source of constant irritation. Half in jest, Torbjörn told him that if he shut up, he would be allowed to choose the name of his upcoming daughter, and that Ingrid would agree to it. In truth, Torbjörn had already considered naming Reinhardt as his daughter's godfather, but that aside, Reinhardt agreed to the terms. After this, Torbjörn wrote to his wife, assuring her that he was okay, and that he would design a prosthetic arm to replace the one he lost in Istanbul. He told her of the deal he had made with Reinhardt, hoping that it would be okay with her. He further hoped that he would be home in Gothenburg before she gave birth.[15]
Post-Crisis
Torbjörn in a viking costume with Mercy on Halloween
In the years that followed, Overwatch became an international peacekeeping force, and Torbjörn remained a critical resource for all of its technological needs and signature weapons systems. At its height, Overwatch possessed one of the most advanced armaments on the planet, which could be traced to Torbjörn's work.[13] This included the development of biotic technology, including the biotic rifle, which was intended to heal Overwatch medics in the field. This device led to some disagreement with now Overwatch agent Dr. Ziegler, who warned that the rifle was setting Overwatch on a dangerous path to weaponizing biotic technology.[16] He also designed the armor components of her Valkyrie suit.[9] Jesse McCree requested Torbjörn to create him a robo-horse, but the engineer refused.[17]
During his Overwatch years, he once dressed as a Viking for Halloween.[18]
At some point, Torbjörn took Brigitte to a music festival where Lúcio Correia dos Santos was the headliner. He disliked Lúcio's music. The Lindholms also visited Ilios at one point.[19]
After the death of Mina Liao, Torbjörn was among those who attended her funeral.[8]
Uprising
Torbjörn en-route to London during the King's Row Uprising
Seven years before the Overwatch recall, Torbjörn was part of an unsanctioned mission authorized by Strike Commander Jack Morrison to end the King's Row Uprising in London, England. While preparing to board an aircraft, Torbjörn gruffly remarked that "the cavalry's here" after seeing Cadet Lena Oxton blink in front of him. Tracer liked the phrase, and decided to keep it.[20]
Reinhardt's Retirement
Sometime after the Uprising, Reinhardt Wilhelm was forced to retire from Overwatch due to his actions at the Global Energy Summit.[8] Up to this point, Torbjörn had maintained Reinhardt's Crusader armor, and the two had got on well.[21] The official reason for retirement was due to Reinhardt's age, though there was no precedent for this in Overwatch's charter.[8] Only four years younger than his friend, Torbjörn was particularly incensed that the organization simply "pushed Reinhardt out" after giving everything of himself in years of service. The Swede would not forget the incident, and related the unfairness of it all to one of his youngest daughter, Brigitte.[21]
The End of Overwatch
When Overwatch disbanded, Torbjörn entered retirement, returning to Gothenburg and Ingrid.[9] He spent at least some of his time giving lectures on abstract algebra and the dangers of weaponized AI.[22]
In the aftermath of Overwatch's fall, many of Torbjörn's weapons were stolen or stashed away around the world. Feeling responsible for his creations, Torbjörn was determined to stop them from falling into the wrong hands and wreaking havoc on the innocent.[13] Round about the same time, Reinhardt (who had been forced to retire from Overwatch) declared that he would become a knight-errant on a quest to bring justice. Brigitte asked to join him and Reinhardt accepted.[23] Torbjörn knows that his daughter shared his stubbornness, and while his bigger concern was that Reinhardt and Brigitte were in over their heads, he ultimately supported their decisions. Plus, there was no-one better to look after his daughter in his mind.[24]
Destroyer
| “ | What I've done, old friend... is topple the destroyer of worlds. | „ |
| ~ Torbjörn to Sven |
Torbjörn deals with the Titan's internal security
Torbjörn received word that a single omnic had attacked the city of Boklovo. He thought little of it at the time, but when he arrived the following day, he saw that it was nothing to scoff at. The omnic was a Titan; one that was rampaging through the city, and shrugging off everything the Kurjikstani military threw at it. He was bitterly reminded that the Titan was a device he had originally designed to aid in city construction, before it had been hijacked by the omnics during the Omnic Crisis and turned into a city-destroyer. But despite the alterations, it was still his design, and that allowed him to bypass its infrared detection systems and gain access to the walker's interior. Once inside, it was revealed that Sven, an old friend of his, was piloting the mech. The two verbally sparred as Torbjörn fought his way up to the walker's cockpit. Sven presented himself as some kind of arbiter of justice, but Torbjorn claimed that he was nothing but a war profiteer. Upon reaching the cockpit, he easily incapacitated him. He subsequently shut down the mech.[4]
Recall
When Winston issued a recall of Overwatch agents, Torbjörn was in northwestern Russia.[25]
Binary
| “ | Rifles? Bah! Might as well throw rocks at the thing. Who said that? That would be me...who's going to take care of this beast for you. |
„ |
| ~ Torbjörn announces himself |
Torbjörn, ready to hunt a Bastion
With the report of a Bastion unit in northern Sweden, Torbjörn attended a meeting of locals who were discussing the incident. While the Swedish government believed the reports to be a hoax, a speaker at the event declared that they should take matters into their own hands. Torbjörn interrupted the meeting, pointing out that the rifles they had would be useless against the automaton. He pointed out that as the unit hadn't attacked anyone yet, its self-repair function was probably damaged. A broken bot was something that he could handle. He told the townsfolk to give him a few days, and to stay put while he sorted out the unit.
Torbjörn headed out into the forest. Despite his earlier words, he was followed by an official, who wanted to make sure the job was done by the book. He revealed to Torbjörn that he'd done some digging, and had discovered that Torbjörn had helped design the E54 Bastion before the Omnic Crisis. They successfully lured the robot out, but a bird landed on their intended bait. Sighting the Bastion, the official opened fire, and the Bastion retreated. Torbjörn was skeptical as to the official's claims that the Bastion had been scared off, for in his experience, Bastions didn't retreat. The official headed off into the forest alone, confident that he and the police could handle it, despite Torbjörn's warnings. Torbjörn went his own way, mulling over what he'd just seen. Before long, he found the robot again, helping beavers build a dam. Perplexed, Torbjörn tried to goad the robot into attacking, but it just stared at him before offering some wood. Torbjörn realized that this Bastion was different from the automatons he'd fought in the past.
The moment was interrupted by the official and the police he'd brought with him, who opened fire on the unit. Torbjörn told them to stop firing, that the Bastion wasn't aggressive, and that they had to call off the hunt. The official was having none of it, and ordered the police to restrain him. Torbjörn was one step ahead of them, and incapacitated the guards using the device he'd originally intended to trap the Bastion with. He headed off into the forest. Eventually, he found the Bastion again, and the two headed off together. Torbjörn warned that they weren't friends, that if it pointed a gun at him, it would be slag. And that it had to stop playing with every animal it came across.[12]
The Lindholm Notes
| “ | It's a person's responsibility to care for any children they have, no matter if those children are flesh or ferrous. We owe them [omnics] for forcing them into existence. | „ |
| ~ Torbjörn in an interview |
With Bastion on toe, Torbjörn returned to his Ironclad Guild workshop in Gothenburg. On the return journey, he watched the Bastion's every move. Sometimes, he'd purposely look away, baiting it, waiting for its CPU to calculate a monetary lapse in his defense, and in so doing, draw its weapon. That would give Torbjörn the excuse to "do what needed to be done," but the opportunity never came.[11]
Torbjörn become fixated on what made Bastion different from the other E-54 units that had killed so many during the Crisis.[26][11] When he told Ingrid what he was doing, he expected her to scold me, but she simply smiled.[11]
Over the following months Torbjörn spent with Bastion caused him to reconsider his former antipathy towards omnics.[7] Bastion ended up living with Torbjörn,[27] who managed to free the robot from much of his wartime programming, and conducted repairs on several of Bastion's decades-old crumbling systems.[26] He also upgraded the omnic;[27] among the upgrades was a new set of armor.[28]
His time with Bastion caused Torbjörn to soften his anti-AI stance, and became more liberal towards the integration of omnics into human society. In an interview, he stated that as humans had created omnics, it was their responsibility to care for them.[8]
Reflections
Torbjörn's family at Christmas
Torbjörn spent Christmas with his family and Reinhardt.[29][30]
Blizzard World
Alongside Bastion, Winston, and Tracer, Torbjörn watched an ad for Blizzard World. After Tracer rushed off (presumably to visit the park), Torbjörn let out a "for the Horde" exclamation.[31]
Gothenburg
Torbjörn was present in Gothenburg when it was attacked by Null Sector. Trying to understand the omnic Brigitte and Reinhardt sent, And also having a mild R&R. He stops Reinhardt from attacking Bastion due to his change of heart and experience. And later, He fought against the attacking omnics alongside Bastion, Brigitte and Reinhardt. And later decide to stay in the workshop while Reinhadt takes Bastion and Brigitte into Overwatch.[32]
Achievements
| Name | Icon | Description | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Absorb 500 armor damage with Torbjörn's Overload without dying in Quick or Competitive play. |  | |
|
|
Kill 4 enemies during a single use of Torbjörn's Molten Core in Quick or Competitive play. |  |
Trivia
The Torbjörn Nendoroid figure
- In a video by Ars Technica Videos, Jeff Kaplan said that Torbjörn is listening to Survivor by Destiny's Child.[33]
- In the French dub of Overwatch 2, two voice actor share the character. As José Luccioni passed away in 2022, a new voice actor reprise the role but only for the new voice lines.
Cultural References
- Torbjörn's abilities and turret bear a resemblance to the Engineer from Valve's Team Fortress 2, with both of them revolving around building turrets and hitting them with their melee weapon to upgrade and repair them. Before the rework of Torbjörn's turret, it would gain double firing speed at level 2 and rockets at level 3, just like the Team Fortress 2 Engineer's sentry. They are also able to drop health or armor packs to the team. Unlike the Engineer, Torbjörn cannot create a teleporter.
In Other Blizzard Games
- Torbjörn's voice line "Completion date? (Chuckles) When it's done" is a possible reference to a long standing policy set by Blizzard to not announce release dates early in devolvement.
- Torbjörn bears resemblance to various characters/races in other Blizzard IPs. These include:
- The Lost Vikings: Torbjörn bears resemblance to the titular Vikings in their second installment, where they receive cybernetic upgrades. Both the Vikings and Torbjörn are of Scandinavian ancestry. His Viking costume in Junkenstein specifically harkens to the character of Baleog.
- Warcraft: Torbjörn bears resemblance to dwarves as they're usually portrayed in the Warcraft universe, in terms of appearance and mechanical proficiency.
- The achievement "Raid Wipe" that involves eliminating 4 players with the Molten Core ultimate could be a reference to the Molten Core zone beneath the Blackrock Mountains, where a 40-man raid instance exists that involves defeating Ragnaros, a firelord elemental that rules the Molten Core zone. The term "wipe" involves a party or group being obliterated entirely, which is, though rare, used in terms of Player vs Player combat in the game of World of Warcraft. Given that Ragnaros is a highly powerful fire elemental and the raid involves a 40-man setup, the achievement bears many similarities with the game, effectively describing the scenario of the failure of the said raid. Ragnaros also rules over the Dark Iron dwarves in this area.
- StarCraft: Torbjörn bears resemblance to Rory Swann from StarCraft (appearance, abilities, mechanical proficiency).
Etymology
- "Torbjörn" is a Scandinavian masculine given name that comes from the Old Norse "Þórbjörn", which literally translates to "Thor bear" or "thunder bear".[34]
- Blizzard may have chosen this name because it is less familiar than "Björn" but still recognizable as Swedish and containing an umlaut.
- Torbjörn is also the name of a chair produced by Ikea, which is headquartered in Sweden. In Overwatch, Torbjörn has multiple sprays that resemble the brand's famous instruction manuals, which have become an Internet meme.
- Similarly, Lindholm is a Swedish surname meaning "Tiny Linden Island".
Merchandise
- A Nerf replica of Torbjörn's blaster went on sale in late 2018.[35]
- A Torbjörn Nendoroid figure went on sale in Q2 2019.[36]
Misc. Character Information
- Torbjörn agent ID number is 3945_48
- Torbjörn is the designer of the armor the Crusaders currently use.[37]
- Torbjörn's turrets make use of IFF-tracking to target enemies.[38]
- Torbjörn often calls his creations "beautiful." He calls his primary turret his "baby," but it doesn't have an actual name.[39]
- Ganymede often tried to make a nest in Torbjörn's beard.[39]
- Cláudio and Hector Martins have refused Torbjörn's help in fixing the Atlantic Arcology's whale problem.[39]
- Despite being her grandfather, Torbjörn isn't fond of Marta's stories (or at least her vampire ones).[39]
Development
Concept Art
Torbjörn's old claw trap concept
Torbjörn's Overwatch 2 rivet gun concept art by Ben Zhang
- Early in the development of Overwatch, Team 4 was looking to bridge the game to other Blizzard properties. Torbjörn was chosen to be the "bridge," given his similarities to the dwarves of Warcraft.[40] The decision to make Torbjörn dwarf-like was to keep with a Blizzard tradition, where almost every one of the company's IPs since The Lost Vikings had either featured dwarves, or dwarf proxies.[41]
- Torbjörn's design originated from the playable Engineer class from the cancelled Project Titan, which wielded a nailgun and sledgehammer and had abilities named Large Sentry and Teleporter. Early in the development of Overwatch he was briefly named Ironclad and was invisioned with a Grav Hammer weapon and abilities named Slam and Bowling Ball, while his Teleporter would be given to Symmetra.[42]
- Torbjörn was named after Torbjörn Malmer.[41]
- Torbjörn was worked on by Arnold Tsang, who later showed his concept to Samwise Didier. Under Didier's direction, he made Torbjörn 25% wider, in order to make him more like a Warcraft dwarf. As a callback to The Lost Vikings, Torbjörn was given a backstory rooted in Scandinavia, complete with a Viking skin.[40]
- Torbjörn was the first character modeled for the game.[43] He was implemented before Junkrat, where it was anticipated that Junkrat's grenade launcher would be a natural counter for Torbjörn's turrets.[44]
- Torbjörn's stomach/chest was originally covered with blue lights, similar to the aesthetic of Tron. This was changed to a bright red, emphasising Torbjörn's background as a metalworker.[41]
- Torbjörn served as a test case for Overwatch artists to perfect the game's overall art style.[40] He was placed in concept art for the Temple of Anubis map (the first map designed for the game) to see if he fit with the aesthetic.[41]
- Torbjörn was among the heroes presented in the initial pitch to Activision Blizzard for Overwatch. Robert Kotick was particularly charmed by Torbjörn, much to the surprise of some Blizzard developers, who considered him a Warcraft dwarf.[45]
- Torbjörn received a major ability rework on October 9, 2018.
Removed abilities
1 scrap every 0.5 seconds
Gains 15 scrap from fallen heroes.
- Removed upon the rework on October 9, 2018.
- Torbjorn can obtain scrap from the deaths of enemies, teammates, or his own death.
Linear Projectile (rockets)
0/0/4 rockets per second
- Removed upon the rework on October 9, 2018.
- The turret automatically fires at nearby enemies, filling Torbjörn's Ultimate as it does so.
- The turret has three upgrade levels:
- A Level 1 turret has 150 health and one gun barrel. Five hits from the Forge Hammer will upgrade it to Level 2.
- A Level 2 turret has 300 health and two gun barrels.
- A Level 3 turret has 800 health, two gun barrels and a rocket launcher. This upgrade is only active during Molten Core.
- The turret's HP must be full for it to be upgraded. If it takes damage, it must be repaired first.
- An exception to this is when Molten Core is activated on a Level 2 turret. All health is restored.
- Removed upon the rework on October 9, 2018.
- A player can only pick up another armor pack once they have taken damage (excluding any shield damage) since picking up their last pack, which resets their total bonus armor to 75. When someone other than Torbjörn picks up a pack, they and Torbjörn receive an on-screen notification.
- Torbjörn can have a maximum of 10 armor packs out at any one time. Crafting an eleventh will make the oldest despawn.
- Removed upon the rework on October 9, 2018.
- Torbjorn passively generates 1% Ult Charge every 3.25 seconds.
- An existing Level 2 Turret will automatically upgrade to level 3 when Molten Core is activated.
- An existing Level 1 Turret will automatically upgrade to level 3 when upgraded to Level 2 if Molten Core is activated.
- When Molten Core expires, the Turret will automatically downgrade to level 2.
- The ability name is a reference to a raid in one of Blizzard's other games, "World of Warcraft".
- Removed in Season 18.
Media
Images
- Former Portrait
-
Overwatch 1 Hero Portrait
- Gameplay Screenshots
- Concept Art
-
Ironclad Skin Turret and Gun Concept Art by Anh Dang
-
Lumberjack Skin Concept Art by Armando Gonzalez-Dorta
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Lumberjack Skin Gun Concept Art by Armando Gonzalez-Dorta
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Lumberjack Skin Hammer and Armor Pack Concept Art by Armando Gonzalez-Dorta
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Lumberjack Skin Turret Concept Art by Armando Gonzalez-Dorta
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Prospector Skin Concept Art by Cecilia Deyne
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Prospector Skin Weapons Concept Art by Cecilia Deyne
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Santaclad Skin Concept Art by Ben Zhang
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Starship Engineer Skin Concept Art by Yiming Liu
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Starship Engineer Skin Gun Concept Art by Yiming Liu
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Starship Engineer Skin Turret Concept Art by Yiming Liu
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Surf 'N' Splash Skin Concept Art by Anh Dang
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Surf 'N' Splash Skin Gun Concept Art by Anh Dang
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Viking Skin Concept Art by Hicham Habchi
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Viking Skin Weapons Concept Art by Anh Dang
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Zhang fei Skin Concept Art
Videos
Balance Change Logs
- For more information, see Patch Notes.
Overload - Ability 1
- Duration increased from 5 to 6 seconds.
Molten Core - Ultimate
- Damage per second increased from 160 to 190.
Craftsman - Minor Perk
- Removed.
Hammer Time - Minor Perk
- New Minor Perk.
- Move 20% faster while Forge Hammer is equipped.
- Now transforms into Level 3 Sentry Turret if Overload was activated before fully constructed.
- Base health reduced from 250 to 225.
- Turret Damage reduced from 13 to 12.
- Now additionally increases Deploy Turret base health by 25.
- Hero Perks
- Forge Hammer can restore armor health to allies. Turret repair's heal is increased by 25%.
- Activating Overload fully refills Rivet Gun's ammo.
- Deploy Turret's throw range is increased by 50% and it can now attach to walls and ceilings.
- Overload upgrades your Turret for 5 seconds, increasing its health and damage.
- Damage increased from 55 to 70.
- Build time reduced from 3 to 2.5 seconds.
- Base health increased from 225 to 250.
- Base health reduced from 250 to 225.
- Base armor increased from 50 to 75.
- General updates
- Global projectile size modifier for travel time projectiles with a speed greater than 50 meters per second reduced from 0.1 to 0.075 meters.
- Hero updates
- Turret damage increased from 11 to 13.
- General updates
Most damage-dealing projectile sizes have been increased by a new global modifier added to their base size.
- +0.05 meters for hitscan projectiles with a high rate of fire or spread (e.g., Tracer's Pulse Pistols or Reaper's Hellfire Shotguns).
- +0.08 meters for hitscan projectiles that are more precise (e.g., Cassidy's Peacekeeper or Soldier:76's Heavy Pulse Rifle).
- +0.05 meters for travel time projectiles that are shotguns or have a very high rate of fire (e.g., Roadhog's Scrap Gun or Ramattra's Void Accelerator).
- +0.10 meters for travel time projectile with a speed greater than 50 meters per second (e.g., Zenyatta's Destruction Orb).
- +0.15 meters for travel time projectile with a speed less than or equal to 50 meters per second (e.g., Pharah's Rocket Launcher).
- Very large projectiles with a base size greater than 0.5 meters have been excluded from these increases (e.g., Orisa's Energy Javelin or Reinhardt's Fire Strike).
Hero combined HP (base health/armor/shields) increased by 15-25%.
- 150-175 HP heroes increased by 25 HP.
- 200-300 HP heroes increased by 50 HP.
- 300+ HP (Tanks) increased by 75-100 HP.
- Each hero's precise health increases are listed in their patch notes below.
Ultimate Charge
- All Ultimate ability costs increased by 10%.
Regenerative Passive for All Heroes
- All heroes now regenerate 20 health per second after 5 seconds of not taking damage.
Damage Role Passive
- Reload speed bonus on elimination has been removed.
- New role passive: Dealing damage reduces enemy healing received by 20% for 2 seconds.
Quick Melee
- Damage increased from 30 to 40.
- Hero updates
- Health increased from 200 to 250.
- Overhealth increased from 75 to 100.
- Primary fire recovery increased from .48 to .51 seconds.
- Overhealth bonus decreased from 100 to 75.
- Weapon swap time reduced from 0.5 to 0.4 seconds.
- Primary fire recovery time reduced from 0.55 to 0.48 seconds.
- Swing recovery time reduced from 0.75 to 0.6 seconds.
- Secondary Fire spread reduced from 5 to 4.5 degrees.
- Damage reduced from 14 to 11.
- Cooldown increased from 10 to 12 seconds.
- Now reloads 6 ammo on use.
- Turret base health reduced from 250 to 225
(beta)
- Added to the Stadium Hero Roster.
All Grown Up - Power
- While Overload is active, Turrets are upgraded 1 Level to a maximum of Level 3.
Turriplets - Power
- You can have 3 Turrets active. They start at Level 1, have 50% Health and 66% Attack Speed, and can be upgraded temporarily by hitting it with Forge Hammer up to 15s.
Positive Reinforcement - Power
- When a Turret is placed, it gains 200 Overhealth for 5s. Hitting a Turret with Forge Hammer grants you 10 Overhealth for 5s, up to 50.
Magmini - Power
- After using Overload, gain 2 Ammo of Molten Core with 66% reduced damage duration.
Swedish Sauna - Power
- Molten Core heals allied heroes within it for 50% of Molten Core Damage every 1s.
Come Get Yer Armor - Power
- After using Overload, throw 2 Armor Packs that grants Armor equal to 20% of your Max Life. Armor Packs do not stack.
Dwarlord - Power
- Overload grants all allies within 5m Overhealth equal to 50% of Overload Overhealth and 10% Attack Speed.
Let Off Some Steam - Power
- While Overload is not active, Weapon Damage and Weapon Healing reduces Overload Cooldown by 10%.
Riveting - Power
- Every 5th Rivet Gun shot shoots both your Primary Fire and Secondary Fire. The bonus shot deals 25% reduced damage.
Clocked - Power
- Turret damage marks enemies for 8s. Gain 20% Weapon Lifesteal and 15% increased Weapon Damage against marked enemies.
Forged in Fire - Power
- While Overload is active, every Forge Hammer swing explodes, dealing Forge Hammer damage equal to 10% of Max Life in a 3m radius.
Blacksmith - Power
- Using Forge Hammer on an Ally heals them for 66% of Forge Hammer damage.
Speedish Feetfalls - Rare Weapon Hero Item
- 25 Armor.
- 5% Attack Speed.
- Gain 15% Move Speed while holding Forge Hammer.
- Cost: 4000.
Rivet Refresher - Rare Weapon Hero Item
- 5% Weapon Power.
- 30% Reload Speed.
- Overload reloads an additional 25% of Max Ammo.
- Cost: 4000.
Ingrid's Ingenuity - Epic Weapon Hero Item
- 50 Armor.
- 10% Attack Speed.
- Forge Hammer Damage or Healing grants Overhealth equal to 2% of Max Life, up to 20% Max Life.
- Cost: 10000.
Skjutsnabbt System - Epic Weapon Hero Item
- 10% Weapon Power.
- 10% Weapon Lifesteal.
- 20% Overload Duration.
- When Overload expires, gain 20% Attack Speed for 3s.
- Cost: 10000.
Reclaimer's Rig - Rare Ability Hero Item
- 25 Health.
- 5% Ability Power.
- When a Turret is destroyed, reduce Deploy Turret's cooldown by 1s and gain 25 Overhealth for 3s.
- Cost: 4500.
Forgewalker - Rare Ability Hero Item
- 5% Ability Power.
- 5% Cooldown Reduction.
- Gain 20% Move Speed while standing in Molten Core.
- Cost: 4500.
Arturretficial Intelligence - Epic Ability Hero Item
- 10% Ability Power.
- 10% Attack Speed.
- Damage from Rivet Gun's Secondary Fire causes your Turrets to target them.
- Cost: 9000.
Lindholm Launcher – Epic Ability Hero Item
- 15% Ability Power.
- 15% Turret Targeting Range.
- 50% Turret Throw Range.
- Cost: 10000.
Oververloader - Rare Survival Hero Item
- 10% Cooldown Reduction.
- Overload grants additional Overhealth equal to 30% of Max Armor.
- Cost: 5000.
Ironblood Injectors - Epic Survival Hero Item
- 50 Armor.
- While Overload is active, grow 30% in size and restore 5% of Max Life every 1s.
- Cost: 9000.
- Turret damage increased from 11 to 15.
- (Parity Adjustment) No longer does less damage on console platforms
- Shotgun patterns no longer apply random rotation. This will affect the following heroes:
- Ashe
- Doomfist
- D.Va
- Reaper
- Roadhog
- Torbjörn
- Recovery increased from 0.6 to 0.8 seconds
- Damage increased from 10.5 to 12.5 per projectile (125 total per shot)
This change to Torbjörn’s secondary fire is aimed at giving it a stronger role at close range. We’re hoping this change allows each shot to feel more impactful, since it has a larger burst. To keep this change in line, we’ve also reduced the damage-per-second.
Overload
- Overload cooldown decreased from 12 to 10 seconds
Developer Comment: Torbjörn has difficulty in extended team fights once his turret is eliminated and Overload has been used. This change allows Torbjörn to be able to rely on his Overload more often.
Rivet Gun (Alternate Fire)
- Damage per pellet reduced from 12.5 to 10.5 (105 dmg total per shot).
Developer Comments: The combined damage output of Torbjörn’s secondary fire with his Overload ability was too high given his recently increased survivability.
- Base health increased by 50 armor (250 maximum health)
- Armor gain reduced from 150 to 100
Developer Comments: Torbjörn’s survivability was a bit low, so we’ve shifted some power from his Overload ability to his base health.
Molten Core
- Damage increased from 130 to 160 per second
Developer Comments: While the Molten Core damage pools were intended to provide players with tools for area denial, they weren’t proving threatening enough to deter enemies for a significant amount of time because their damage was too low.
- Reduced the size of Torbjörn’s head hit volume by 10%
- Projectile speed increased from 60 to 70 per second
- Reload time reduced from 2.2 to 2 seconds
- Turret targets enemy hit by primary fire
- Recovery lowered from 0.8 to 0.6 seconds
- Damage per shot lowered from 150 to 125
- Reload time reduced from 2.2 to 2 seconds
- Spread randomization readjusted
- Radius increased to align with Quick Melee
- Turret is now a thrown projectile
- Automatically builds over three seconds
- No longer has different levels
- Same damage output as previous level 2 turret
- Maximum health reduced from 300 to 250
- Now incurs a 5 second cooldown when deployed
- Now incurs a 10 second cooldown when destroyed in combat
- No longer able to deploy a new turret if it’s in combat
- While the turret is firing
- If the turret has taken damage within three seconds
- Can now be destroyed using the Interact input
- Completes self-building once deployed, even if Torbjörn is eliminated
New Ability: Overload
- Replaces Armor Pack
- Lasts for 5 seconds
- Cooldown is 12 seconds
- Temporarily grants 150 armor
- Increases attack, movement, and reload speeds by 30%
New Ultimate: Molten Core
- Switches weapon from Rivet Gun to his claw arm
- Lasts 6 seconds
- Fire up to 10 molten globules that create damage pools where they land for 10 seconds
- Globules bounce off walls and ceilings until they hit the ground
- Base damage is 130
- Damage increases from 130 to 190 against enemies who have armor
- Heroes affected by armor: Bastion, Brigitte, D.Va, Orisa, Reinhardt, Torbjörn, Winston, Wrecking Ball
- Heroes who can grant armor to their allies: Brigitte
Developer Comments: Torbjörn was initially designed to be a specialized hero, intended to be a strong defensive option due to his armor-generating capabilities and ability to control areas with his turret. However, the scrap collecting and Armor Pack mechanics have proven to cause problematic gameplay issues because of their feast or famine nature. To make him more flexible in a wide variety of situations, we’ve removed the scrap system, made the turret much easier to deploy, replaced the Armor Pack ability with Overload—a powerful self-buff—and transformed Molten Core into a powerful new area denial ultimate ability.
- Dealing damage to things other than players (like Torbjorn's turret or Symmetra's teleporter) no longer charges ultimate abilities
- Scrap is now automatically generated over time
- The amount of scrap collected from a fallen enemy has been decreased by 40%
- Swing speed increased by 25%
- Damage decreased by 27%
Developer Comments: Armor Packs have always been a powerful tool in Torbjörn's arsenal, but it was often difficult to gather enough scrap to give your team a legitimate boost when they needed it. Conversely, if a team held on long enough, the scrap collected from fallen enemies was often able to generate so many armor packs that enemy teams had a difficult time turning the tide. Automatically generating scrap over time helps smooth out these differences and makes Torbjörn more viable. His hammer swing speed was increased to help him construct level 2 turrets more quickly.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 2018-02-22, Overwatch Twitter, Twitter'. Accessed on 2018-02-25
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2017-11-08, Michael Chu: "If you're referring to their appearance in Reflections, the younger ones are his grandchildren.". Twitter, accessed on 2017-11-26
- ↑ 2014-11-24, BlizzCon 2014 – Overwatch Unveiled Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2015-03-07
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Overwatch: Torbjörn: Destroyer
- ↑ 2014-11-24, BlizzCon 2014 – Overwatch Unveiled Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2015-03-08
- ↑ Overwatch, Torbjörn Quotes
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Torbjörn (Overwatch 2), Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2022-10-05
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 Overwatch: Declassified
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Valkyrie
- ↑ Overwatch 2: Sojourn
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Lindholm Workshop Notes Regarding Bastion
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Bastion: Binary
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 Torbjörn (Overwatch), Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2015-03-09
- ↑ 2022-10-25, OVERWATCH 2: SOJOURN PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2022-11-02
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 2018-02-24, STORY UPDATE: A LETTER FROM TORBJÖRN TO HIS WIFE. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2018-02-25
- ↑ 2016-07-06, Communications Records of Ziegler, A. – Overwatch File 00231 – Security Classification: CONFIDENTIAL. Twitter, accessed on 2016-07-07
- ↑ Overwatch 2, Cassidy Quotes
- ↑ Recall
- ↑ Overwatch 2, Brigitte Quotes
- ↑ 2017-04-05, Overwatch Digital Comic: "Uprising" PlayOverwatch. Accessed on 2017-04-05
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Honor and Glory
- ↑ Overwatch: The Hero of Numbani
- ↑ Brigitte, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2018-03-01
- ↑ 2018-03-21, STORY UPDATE: BRIGITTE Q&A. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2018-03-24
- ↑ Recall
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Bastion (OW2), PlayOverwatch. Accessed on 2022-12-12
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 2019-11-07, BlizzCon 2019 Overwatch 2 Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2020-04-10
- ↑ Overwatch, Brigitte Quotations
- ↑ Tracer: Reflections
- ↑ 2016-12-20, Overwatch Twitter. Twitter, accessed on 2017-11-11
- ↑ 2017-11-03, Blizzard World | New Hybrid Map | Overwatch. YouTube, accessed on 2017-11-04
- ↑ 2023-06-22, Overwatch 2: Invasion Reveal Livestream | Story Missions, Flashpoint, and more!. YouTube, accessed on 2023-07-19
- ↑ 2017-06-26, Blizzard Answers Unsolved Mysteries of the Overwatch Universe | Ars Technica. YouTube, accessed on 2017-06-28
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torbjörn
- ↑ 2018-11-02, BLIZZARD GEAR: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE PANEL UNVEILS LOTS OF NEW GEAR. Blizzpro, accessed on 2018-11-16
- ↑ Nendoroid Torbjorn. Blizzard Store, accessed on 2018-10-26
- ↑ Brigitte (OW2). PlayOverwatch, accessed on 2022-12-12
- ↑ Overwatch Visual Source Book, page 89
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 Overwatch 2, Torbjörn Quotations
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Forging Worlds: Stories Behind the Art of Blizzard Entertainment
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 2017-03-04, How Torbjörn became the art inspiration for all of Overwatch. PC Gamer, accessed on 2025-04-06
- ↑ Blizzcon 2017, Overwatch: Archives
- ↑ 2015-05-27, BlizzCon 2014 – Overwatch Origins Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2015-05-29
- ↑ 2016-04-22, The Story of Overwatch: Return of the 90s Shooter. YouTube, accessed on 2016-09-08
- ↑ Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment, pg. 219
External links
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