Where is Wrecking Ball in Overwatch 2 Season 18? Temporary removal explained

Tank hero Hammond, or Wrecking Ball, has been temporarily removed from Overwatch 2, leaving fans wondering why and when he’s returning.

The Season 18 update has arrived, bringing the new Support hero Wuyang and an overhauled progression system. It also introduced a number of changes across the board, from new Stadium heroes to fresh Perks for many characters.

But shortly after the patch went live on August 26, many players noticed that Wrecking Ball, the loveable Tank piloted by hamster Hammond, was missing. But what happened?

Where is Wrecking Ball in OW2?

Although there hasn’t been any official word from Blizzard, Wrecking Ball has likely been disabled due to a bug that players were reporting. Before he mysteriously vanished, his Grappling Claw ability, which lets him attach to and swing from surfaces, was allowing him to accelerate faster than usual.

So, the most obvious answer is that he has been removed from all modes while the devs work on a hotfix, to ensure that he doesn’t disrupt matches in the meantime.

Blizzard Entertainment

When is Wrecking Ball returning?

There is currently no news on when Wrecking Ball will return, but it shouldn’t be too long. Blizzard are usually pretty rapid when it comes to fixing any major bugs with heroes, and given that they haven’t even announced the removal, they probably don’t expect it to be a long absence.

However, it all depends on how serious the issue is and how long it takes to fix without breaking something else. We’ll be sure to update this page if there’s any more news.

So, for the time being, Hammond mains will be forced to pick a new hero to start Season 18 with. But don’t worry, he’s not gone for good; he’s just taking a little break.

For more on Overwatch 2, take a look at when the next Miximilien’s Vault is taking place, as well as the best Stadium builds.